


DREAMBOY

by MARISA_CATTT



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alcohol Usage, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Jack didn't go to Samwell, M/M, fluff!!!, past jack/kent never happened, poorly written hockey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-18 20:33:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29615037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MARISA_CATTT/pseuds/MARISA_CATTT
Summary: Alexei Mashkov was number 7 of the Providence Falconers, and he couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. When he was on the ice, he knew that it was his new home.Beneath it all, Alexei was scared to live in Russia. The constant ghost of who he was meant to marry haunting him no matter where he went. Everyone back home always asked him if he had settled down yet. If he had finally found the woman of his dreams.In Providence, he found his home. He knew that within the black ridden puck and beneath the hidden cracks of the ice, that he found comfort in the brisk air, and silently appreciated the warmth he felt in his heart that came from the frozen fractals of the ice. He didn't have to worry about his sexuality. He didn't have to worry about his dream girl.Everything in Alexei’s life was going smoothly. Until it all didn’t.
Relationships: Alexei "Tater" Mashkov/Kent "Parse" Parson, Eric "Bitty" Bittle/Jack Zimmermann
Comments: 2
Kudos: 41





	DREAMBOY

_**SCENE I.** _

Sometimes, being in the NHL felt as if it were all a dream. Everything seemed too good to be true. The roaring crowd, the buzzer, the commentators, the energy. Anyone would be thankful to be paid millions a year to play a simple game.

Alexei Mashkov was number 7 of the Providence Falconers, and he couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. When he was on the ice, he knew that it was home—no matter how difficult it was to understand his teammates. 

He had been scouted from Russia and had to flip his entire life around to be involved with the team. He left Russia, his home, the place where he felt all of his happiness. But beneath it all, Alexei had begun to be scared to live in Russia. His mama never understood him—never understood the man he grew up to be, never supported his choices. It had become overwhelming, and he was honestly thankful for the departure of that mess.

In Providence, he found his home. He knew that within the black ridden puck and beneath the hidden cracks of the ice, that he found comfort in the brisk air, and silently appreciated the warmth he felt in his heart that came from the frozen fractals of the ice. 

Everything in Alexei’s life was going smoothly.

Until it all didn’t.

The Falconers had just lost a game against the Houston Aeros, 4-1, and the entire team was feeling the loss ripple in their bones. They all shook hands before getting off the ice, patting each other’s back and whispering small, _“Good game.”_ ’s.

Alexei looked over at his teammates, trying to keep a cheerful smile on his face. He wanted to be the source of happiness that the team needed in times like these. He walked over to Snowy, their number 24, and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

“You good goalie, Snowy. Did everything good. Why sad?” Alexei attempted at saying, looking over at his sorrowful teammate.

Snowy leaned against him, sighing, “It was my fucking fault.” He groaned, shaking his head. “I let all of their shots in. Did you see the third goal? It wasn’t even fucking brilliant, it was terrible, and I let it in!”

Alexei frowned at his friend, ruffling his hair, “No, Snowy, stop. Not your fault. We all have bad game, yes? Can’t always save all goals.”

Not being able to hold it back, Snowy let a soft smile loose, “Thank you, Tater. You did good out there. I’m proud of you.

Alexei gave Snowy another pat, before walking over to Jack Zimmermann, their number 1, and sending him another welcoming smile. “Good game, Zimmboni. You get goal, yes?”

Though he didn’t mean to, Jack glared at him. “Mhm..” He mumbled, tilting his head back to take a drink from his water bottle. 

Alexei didn’t take offence. He only stood up straight, crossing his arms, “Very good play, Zimmboni. I’m proud of you.”

All Jack could muster was a gentle nod, a whisper of, “Thank you.” before walking away. Alexei sent him an understanding frown, walking to the locker room and removing his jersey. He knew he needed a shower, but he couldn’t bring himself to get into the showers with anyone else.

Thinking of it all, Alexei hadn’t once used the showers with the other men. He usually never thought anything of it, but tonight, he felt different.

He acknowledged that what he felt toward using the showers—was fear. He thought that if he ever used them, everyone would sense something off with him. That he wasn’t like all of them, and he wouldn’t be able to keep his eyes to himself.

Alexei knew he’d never disrespect his teammates like that. But the demon on his shoulder convinced him otherwise.

After a couple of minutes, Alexei walked into the hallways and was immediately crowded with screaming paparazzi. There were cameras being shoved into his face, reporters asking questions rapidly. 

Though being the tallest on his team, Alexei had never felt so small. He quickly tried to get away from the crowd, but it was difficult. He couldn’t see the way out of the room.

“Mashkov! Here!”

Alexei closed his eyes, breathing in quickly, and out. He just wanted to go home—wherever the fuck that was.

“Are there any special women in your life, Mashkov?”

The question made his ears perk. He was suddenly fully aware of his surroundings, and aware of the strong hand that had somehow fallen on his shoulder. He looked to his side, Jack’s figure beside him becoming prominent. Alexei wondered if Jack knew how thankful he was.

_“Have you found your dream girl, Alyosha?”_

_Special women._ It sounded like what his mother used to always ask him. The constant ghost of who he was meant to marry haunting him no matter where he went. Everyone always asked him if he had settled down yet. If he had finally found the women of his dreams.

But he didn’t want the woman of his dreams. Alexei was struggling to figure out what his real dream was.

_“Have you found her?”_

Alexei tightly clenched his eyes shut, trying to ignore the voice in his mind.

He ignored all of the paparazzi as he let Jack guide them out of the catastrophe. Suddenly, it was blatantly aware that he was shaking. From what, Alexei couldn’t pinpoint.

Was it the claustrophobia in the room that seemed to be shortening his breath? Or was it the resurfacing thoughts of his future? Being the man that he was _destined_ to be?

Alexei could feel his body freeze. He let out a soft breath, his heart shaking, body tense.

It was all so much at once. All so much that he didn’t realize that he was now sitting in the passengers seat of Jack’s truck. He felt arms around his waist, a trembling body laying against his own. 

Alexei came back to his senses. “Y- you okay, Zimmboni?” He whispered caringly.

Jack looked up at him, eyes red, shaking his head, “Tater..”

“Hm?” Alexei whispered, ruffling Jack’s hair playfully. “What is wrong?”

Speechless, Jack kept quiet. He just went back to hugging him, whispering, “I- I don’t get you sometimes, Tater. You’re so kind to everyone.. Even when we lose a game like tonight.. Do you ever think about how you’re feeling sometimes?”

Everything went quiet. For a second, Alexei felt confused, taking some time to process the words that Jack was feeding him. But he understood them. He understood them too well.

“Um..” Alexei stuttered, biting his lip. “Why ask, Zimmboni?"

“You scared me there.” Jack told him, “When you were trying to exit. Why didn’t you wait for us?”

Alexei shrugged, “Um.. Not wanting to keeping anyone waiting. Seeming sad enough. Not wanting to ruin night.” He said quickly, looking into Jack’s ice cold eyes. They weren’t as cold as they were earlier, because now they held sympathy.

“Oh my,” Jack shook his head, hugging him tighter. “I’m here for you, Tater. You don’t have to suffer alone.”

Alexei thought about Jack’s words for a while. He thought about them when he arrived back at his hotel, laying back in his bed and staring into the white ceiling. He thought about them when he grabbed his phone off of the nightstand, unplugging the charger and typing many different words into Google, and reading articles until the break of dawn.

He ended up on a website called “Prideouts.” He didn’t think twice before he signed himself up, scrolling through the multiple posts about sexuality. It was an app created for people who wanted someone to talk to, but were afraid of real life confrontation. Alexei loved it.

His screen name was Tater, and the profile photo was an image of the sunset he had taken when he was in Vegas, playing against the Aces. It was a photo he was proud of, and knew it didn’t give any information about him away.

Clicking mindlessly, he ended up following hundreds of profiles. They all had one thing in common—sexuality. 

He was having fun pretending to be someone else. Alexei didn’t have to be fluent in English to understand the posts, and it made him feel included. 

Somehow, he ended up on the NHL side of the app. It was filled with many fans of the NHL who were involved with the LGBT community. 

It was definitely a new side to Alexei. With his experience in the Hockey field of work, he had never been opened up to the world of sexuality. They rarely ever touched any other sexualities other than being heterosexual.

**kvpride90  
** ****so all of us were watching that game tonight, righttt? absolute BULLSHIT! i hope the falconers aren’t too bummed, they did fuckin awesome. and why aren’t any of us talking about zimmermann’s goal? COME ON!  
 _#blindmotherfuckers #wheresthezimmermannlove #anyways_

Alexei bit his chapped lips to hold back a smile. He liked the post, clicking on the profile and looking at more of their posts. 

Their profile picture was a simple rainbow. Alexei simply loved it.

**kvpride90  
** why does my OWN cat fucking hate me.. like all i do is feed her and give her the best of cuddles !!!  
*attached image*  
 _#plslovemekitten #iknowifeedhertoomuch #ifeellikeshestheownerofmyownhouse #help_

Alexei looked at the cat image and swooned. It was a large, white coloured cat, who seemed to be clawing at the camera. He laughed, liking the image and commenting, “Demon cat. Purr.” and attaching a cat emoji.

**kvpride90  
** sometimes it feels like nobody understands me.   
_#justbeingaclosetedgaydontmindme #:/_

The words made Alexei frown. The person behind the screen seemed so nice, he felt guilty knowing that they felt like their voice wasn’t heard. He instantly typed out his response.

**TatersDream  
** replying to **kvpride90  
** Sucks (( I’m knowing how feel. Many people surrounding but none understand, yes?

His heart was sore, but he continued reading their posts. After all, they made him feel safe. He didn’t realize someone else was going through what he was.

**kvpride90  
** oml i just want to be GAY. i want the world to know i am GAY. i like men. MEN!!!!!! and i am also a man. FEAR ME BITCHES!  
 _#gay #men #iwantaboyfriend #crying #aloneforever_

**kvpride90  
** ugh something about those aces men get me feeling something……,,,,,,, especially parson,,, mmmmmmmmm _  
#dickmedownparson #yup #ifonlyyouknew _

**kvpride90  
** MY CAT.W39 IS SNUGGLIGN ME!!1 I REPEATTTT,, MY CATTTT,,,, IS SNUGGLING ME!!!!!! WAHHHHHHHH  
 _#SOPROUD #PROUDMOM #SHELOVESME #AHHHHH_

**kvpride90  
** i’m not ashamed to be a zimmermann puck bunny. um. i mean,,  
 _#jk #unless???_

Alexei laughed, reposting that post. He loved reading about his team members from a supporters perspective.

Before he fell asleep, he decided to follow “kvpride90.” His eyes slowly closed, clutching his phone near his chest even when he slept.

_**SCENE II.** _

Waking up the next morning was more difficult than anticipated. He immediately was woken up from his slumber by repetitive knocking at the door of his hotel room.

Alexei groaned, shoving his face into the warm pillow. He laid there for a while, before the knocking turned into a soft voice.

“Tater? Are you in there? It’s me, Jack.”

That was when Alexei decided to get up, stretching his muscles before tugging the blankets with him as he walked to the door. He opened it, rubbing his eyes. “Why so early, Zimmboni..?”

“I think I may be gay.” Jack immediately spoke, closing his mouth a second after the words came out. Alexei looked at him, noticing his shaking hands and nervous eyes. When Alexei didn’t reply, Jack spoke up again.

“I- I don’t know what to do.” He mumbled, shoving his face in his hands. “ _Fuck,_ I shouldn’t have brought you into this. I’m sorry. I’m leaving now.”

“No,” Alexei spoke up, “come inside, Zimmboni. You like coffee, yes?”

Jack looked up at him, soft blue eyes nodding. “Y- Yeah.. I do.”

So Alexei moved out of his way, waving Jack inside. He was still wrapped around in the black sheets, a goofy smile plastered on his morning face, “Very early, yes? You sleep?”

Following Alexei into the kitchen, Jack shook his head, “Um.. Not really. It’s been hard sleeping lately.”

“Mmm.” Alexei murmured, turning on the coffee machine that the hotel provided. “Zimmboni, you know you always safe with me, yes? Can say anything. Don’t mind.”

The room went quiet. They both listened as the coffee sizzled into the cups, cocoa cascading with cheap sugar and cream. Alexei stirred the chemicals together, handing Jack his drink. 

Silently, they looked at each other. Alexei could see the anxiety ridden on his features. He couldn’t help but feel bad.

“I think I’m gay.” Jack repeated, the blood draining from his face. He clutched onto the coffee cup as if it contained his life inside of it. 

Alexei took a sip, nodding. “Liking boys?”

Jack mirrored him, “Yeah.. Um, I was at this bar like —” He paused, trying to thread his words together. He was never good with speaking, but Alexei would always take his time with him. “Like, two weeks ago? When we were on the roadie and stopped in Samwell for a bit? I went off to just burn some fuel and just.. Get a drink, I guess. I ended up in this bar. There were girls all over me when I got inside but all I remember is this short boy southern boy flirting with me and..”

There was another pause. Jack glanced inside of his cup, refusing to look into Alexei’s dark chocolate eyes. “We kissed. He made me feel.. Happy. I’ve never felt that way with a significant other before, you know? He was short and cute and he wasn’t ashamed to find me attractive. It was so new.. I’d never thought of relationships, _fuck,_ I haven’t been thinking of anything but hockey lately. But now my mind is just on _him._ We only kissed.. But I had to get his number. We’ve been texting. His name is Eric. I really like him. And it really scares me.”

Alexei listened to him thoroughly, trying his best to understand with the best of his ability. He nodded when appropriate, and smiled when he felt like Jack needed a slice of happiness. 

“You falling in love with tiny boy, yes?” Alexei asked with a raise of his eyebrows. 

Jack rubbed his temples, “I think so.. I just,” He sighed, “it’s so fucking scary, Alexei. There’s never been an openly gay NHL player, _fuck,_ I don’t even know what I am. Gay? Bisexual? I’ve.. I’ve just.. _fuck._ ”

“Zimmboni, world love you. Hockey love you. You born to play on ice. But you also born to live.” Alexei began, leaning against the counter, the bedsheets falling from around him. “Everybody need to love. If being boy, who cares? Not making you any less of a man. Scary, yes, but you human. Have feelings. Not just hockey robot.”

Jack was looking at Alexei with careful eyes. There was a newfound spark of hope that now laid beneath the ice surface, and his hands weren’t as shaky anymore. 

“ _Thank you_ , Alexei.” Jack whispered, closing his eyes and laying his head onto the cold countertop. “Thank you.. I’m sorry to dump this all on you, I just am so scared.. I don’t know who I can talk to about this. And you’re always so kind I..”

Alexei sat up, walking over and wrapping his arms around Jack’s shoulders. “Always here for you, Zimmboni. Happy you can trust me. Want to tell me more about tiny boy?”

It was between a chuckle and a sob, the noise that escaped Jack’s chapped lips. But he nodded instantly.

_**SCENE III.** _

When Alexei returned to his room, it was lunchtime and his stomach was growling. He and Jack had spent the entire afternoon talking about Eric and all of his personality. From his Southern accent to his giant brown beady eyes, it was easy to tell that Jack had fallen for this boy.

It made Alexei somewhat jealous, but in a supportive way. He was extremely happy that his friend had come to him with something as heavy as this, but in all honesty, Alexei didn’t know that much about being gay either. 

He laid back into bed, groaning tiredly. Leaning over, he grabbed his phone from the nightstand. His grip on it was loose, so it didn’t take much to slip out of his hands when he read,

**kvpride90 has followed you back!**

Alexei immediately unlocked his phone, opening Prideouts and clicking onto his notifications. 

**kvpride90 liked your response to their post!**

**kvpride90 replied:  
** that’s.. exactly how i fucking feel. i’m always surrounded by people but it’s like i’ve never felt more alone in my life. 

The guilt hit Alexei once again. He frowned, deciding to reply to the person once more. 

**TatersDream replied:  
** ((( I’m sorry. Wish I could do more. Knowing how you feel. Here if you need to talk, yes?

He hoped the message came across the way he meant it to, before pressing the post button. The notification came almost instantly. 

But this time, it wasn’t a reply. It was a direct message. 

Alexei held his breath. 

**kvpride90  
** you’re so kind (:

Blush stained Alexei’s cheeks before he could retaliate. 

**TatersDream  
** You seeming sad, needing friend. I can be friend, yes? No more lonely. 

**kvpride90  
** awe thank you  
yeah, i feel bad because i easily over share to random strangers on here all the time, but it’s just so much easier being who i really am just over text  
i feel like i can be myself without feeling bad  
or thinking about how i can fuck up or out myself accidentally   
and nobody. fucking. understands.   
i’m in this stupid bubble of people who just laugh at lgbt peope. what’s so fucking funny about being happy?  
the day i come out is the day i make all their sorry asses regret EXISTING   
well i can’t really say i didn’t warn you about the oversharing part

Texts were definitely harder to understand than talking in person. He had to put all of the person's words into a translator to fully understand.

**TatersDream  
** I’m not wanting to be mean, but can use small words? Hard to understand, not good English. Sorry ((  
Always okay to have feelings!!! Homophobes are ugly. Bleh

**kvpride90  
** omg i’m sorry i’m literally a mess right now  
what’s your name? you can call me “vince” if you want, it’s my middle name 

**TatersDream  
** Calling me Tater ))) Like potato.   
Vince! Cool name. You are boy, yes? Pronouns?

**kvpride90  
** how thoughtful (:  
yes i am a boy, but i don’t really care what pronouns you call me?  
you can use he/him for now i guess

**TatersDream  
** Okay! I keeping in mind.   
He/him me too.  
Confused lately?

**kvpride90  
** yeahhhh  
i’ve kinda known forever that i was gay or just something other than fucking straight but now everything’s just  
boom  
confusion  
i think my friends have started figuring shit out and it gets me really scared  
)):

**TatersDream  
** ((( Why you think this?

**kvpride90  
** i guess it’s just their shitty comments  
“any girl you've been sleeping with?” or like “vince why don’t you ever bring a plus one to any of our parties?”  
like i’m sorry but it’s none of their fucking buisness  
not like they’d understand

Alexei read the messages over and over again. He knew how Vince felt— _exactly_ how he felt. Thankful that there was a screen between the two of them, he began typing.

**TatersDream  
** I HATE THAT!!!!!  
Happens to me!! All time!! Just want to curl in ball and cry  
It good that they care enough to ask. If is friends who asking. If is strangers: fuck them.

**kvpride90  
** you’re right.. sometimes i’m too quick to judge people and i’ve just thought all this time that they’re trying to mess with me or something  
i’m sorry, this may be difficult to understand too, right? let’s stop talking about this. how’s your life going?

**TatersDream  
** If hard, I put in Google. Give me in Russian.  
Life okay.. Happy most of time. But is confusing.  
You gay, yes? Can you tell me some about LGBT?  
Russia not accepting. Hard to learn there, so I move here, Providence  
Good place, but not talk about LGBT a lot

**kvpride90  
** OOH COOL PROVIDENCE!!! have you heard of the falconers???? the NHL team?? they’re fucking sick   
though the aces are WAY better  
anyways sorry   
i can definitely tell you about lgbt (: is there anything specific you’d like to know about?

Alexei _giggled_ at his screen, a smile etched onto his face. Of course he knew about his own hockey team.

**TatersDream  
** Providence Falconers best. No Aces. Bleh!  
Falconers play against Aces soon, you see? Two days I’m thinking. Whoever win is best, yes?  
How you know you gay? And is gay only option? Confused…

**kvpride90  
** BET.   
aces will absolutely destroy the falconers, just watch  
i knew i was gay because like,, ever since i was little i was just never into girls  
when all of my friends would start getting crushes on girls i felt really out of place and never felt any of those: “sparks” everyone talked about  
i’m guessing you didn’t feel like this while younger, huh?

**TatersDream  
** You right.. Younger I had crush on girls, I think. Don’t remember much. Haven’t focused on relationships for long.. long time

**kvpride90  
** it’s definitely valid to feel like that too! bisexuality is that. liking girls and boys.  
i really knew i was gay when i kissed a boy for the first time. fuck i was nervous but it felt so right  
and men are just so hot  
everything about them  
women are beautiful undoubtedly but it just isn’t the same

**TatersDream  
** Ooh. Men are hot yes  
Very  
But women hot too  
I’m liking more.. personality, is that word?  
I don’t care looks. Just be happy person, make me happy.   
Tell more about bisexuality please?

**kvpride90  
** of course (:  
being bisexual is basically being able to date boys and girls  
you find them both equally beautiful and could picture yourself in a relationship with both genders  
would you date a girl, tater?

**TatersDream  
** Yes

**kvpride90  
** okay, now could you picture yourself dating a guy?

Alexei sucked in a breath. He was no longer laying down, but sitting straight up in his bed, his legs both jumping nervously. Bisexuality was all so new to him, he couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed. 

He knew that he gave Jack a pep talk about his sexuality earlier on, but that was just because he wanted to make sure his friend felt heard, and made sure he knew that Alexei would love him no matter what. Talking about himself was an entirely different situation.

In a weird way, he trusted Vince. Not with knowing who he really was, but with whatever sexuality information he was being given. Vince seemed sincere.

So Alexei would be sincere himself.

**TatersDream  
** Yes  
Ahh  
Heart fluttering

**kvpride90  
** that’s so adorable  
you don’t have to put a label on yourself so quickly, okay? i don’t want you feeling trapped or anything  
it takes a while to figure out who you are, and that’s okay (:

**TatersDream  
** Thank you Vince, so so so much  
Is normal to feel scared now?

**kvp** **ride90  
** yes  
when i first thought of boys romantically i cried myself to sleep  
it just depends on who you are, i guess  
i’m here if you need anything, okay?

**TatersDream  
** I’m knowing. Thank you

**kvpride90  
** you’re welcome tater (:  
now, let’s talk about the falconers, shall we?

**TatersDream  
** Mmm. Not Aces, I see?

**kvpride90  
** just saving the best for last (;

**TatersDream  
** Worst*

_**SCENE IV.** _

They spent hours texting about random shit, and those hours turned into two full days. They had texted for the entire flight from Providence to Las Vegas. Alexei knew that Vince loved to watch the NHL, (Which, quite frankly, made him feel proud. It was cool to think that Vince had actually watched him play before.) and had a cat named Kit that was the equivalent to a demon. Vince claimed that she was a princess no matter how difficult she was.

Alexei knew that Vince talked a lot over text because in real life he struggled with voicing his words properly. He found out that Vince’s eyes changed when his moods did, and that he was 5’10 (“don’t you DARE make fun of me, you GIANT!” Vince had texted him after Alexei had replied with, “I step on you.”)

He also knew that Vince slept better when he had someone to say goodnight to. And that he didn’t know how to properly accept a compliment. 

It was a lot to know about a stranger, but Alexei didn’t really mind. He felt like he could tell Vince anything and he wouldn’t judge. 

Their messaging had also made Alexei’s English a _bit_ better. Vince usually tried helping Alexei out with his grammar, and it was surprisingly working. He now felt confident in his English, which was new, but rightfully so.

Nobody on the Falconers noticed the newfound happiness. Alexei Mashkov had always been a bundle of sunshine and rainbows, now, he was something beyond the galaxy. A supernova, maybe.

It was during practice when he got the message. Alexei was sweaty and tired, leaning against his locker and breathing heavily. He loved Jack—but _fuck_ was he a demanding captain. 

**kvpride90  
** do you think we could exchange numbers?

Alexei was somewhat surprised about the question. Him and Vince were definitely friends now, but he didn’t think he was ready for Vince to know who he really was.

**TatersDream  
** Why?

He put his phone down for a while, starting a small conversation with Poots about their strategy for tonight's game.

“The Aces are messy players, dude.” Poots explained to him, using his hands to sharpen the meaning to his words. “They push and shove until they get what they want. We’re not gonna do that, because we’re not pussies. I think that’s why Jack’s been going extra hard on us lately. We gotta be ready to feel some pain.”

Alexei had played against the Aces before, but it never really meant much to him. Now that his and Vince’s bet was on the table, he had made it his mission to beat the Vegas team.

“Not pussies.” Alexei agreed, patting Poots on the shoulder. “They check a lot?”

“Checking is probably the only thing they’re good at.” Poots joked, smirking, “Kent Parson’s their captain, number 90, he’s pretty incredible, but I’m pretty sure his back is hurting from carrying the entire fucking team to their victories.”

Kent Parson was not a new name to Alexei’s vocabulary. It was a name that he somewhat despised, actually. He didn’t like Parson’s rough plays against his teammates, and last time the Falconers and the Aces had gone against one another, Alexei had picked him up from his jersey and yelled Russian nonsense to his face.

It wasn’t his fault Parson was tiny and that his grey eyes were permanently stained with anger. They made Alexei boil with annoyance.

“Parson good,” Alexei agreed, “but we better.”

Poots laughed loudly, nudging Alexei’s shoulder, “Fuck yeah, Tater! I like that attitude, man! But- Hey, dude, you should answer your phone. It’s like — been exploding.”

“Okay.” Alexei said, sending Poots a quick nod before heading back to his corner of the changing room. He picked up his water bottle and gear bag before heading out, opening his phone as he walked to Jack’s truck.

(Ever since Jack witnessed Alexei’s claustrophobia, he had been driving him home from practice every night. Tonight, they had their game against the Aces, so they would be driving to the rink. Alexei constantly felt bad for taking up Jack’s time—But Jack only sent him a warm smile, waving him inside the vehicle.)

**kvpride90  
** i’ve been thinking about our friendship lately and i trust you a lot  
..maybe we could start calling?  
only if that’s okay with you  
it’s weird but i sometimes try to picture what your voice sounds like  
especially your accent  
i bet it’s super cute  
and we text until midnight some days and i thought it would just be nice to hear your voice whisper me goodnight rather than just sending a text

Alexei read the messages with wide eyes. _Calling._

He immediately shook his head, knowing Vince couldn’t see him. There was no way he’d be able to talk to Vince—especially as he was the only one who knew about Alexei’s sexuality crisis.

The hold on his phone was becoming loose, so he decided to shove it into his pocket as he sprinted to where he knew Jack’s truck would be parked.

Jack’s familiar blue eyes had never felt more comforting. He opened the passengers door quickly, hopping in his car with a groan.

“Everything alright, Tater?” Jack asked him, plugging in the keys to the ignition and turning down the radio. That was something Alexei had learned about Jack—he could never drive with the radio too loud.

Alexei didn’t want to lie, so he shrugged. “Not really wanting to talk about it.”

“Okay.” Jack settled with, giving Alexei’s shoulder a gentle squeeze before beginning to drive. “Um, I have a question, actually.”

Startled, Alexei glanced at him immediately. “I’m listening.”

The car went quiet for a moment. Beyoncé was playing on the speakers, which made Alexei smile. He knew that Jack had been listening to more music lately rather than podcasts to impress Eric. 

“So I was wondering if you’d like to stay for dinner tomorrow? I—uh,” He stuttered, “I kind of want you to meet Bitty.”

(Bitty was Eric’s “hockey nickname,” and when Jack told Alexei about it, his face was stained peach. “I just think it’s cute, okay?”)

A gasp escaped from Alexei’s lips. “Itty Bitty at your house?! You not tell me?!” He exclaimed angrily, “I’m wanting meet tiny boy forever!”

“No, no!” Jack shook his head, “Over call. Facetime. We’ve been doing that a lot lately. It’s nice being able to see his face..” He admitted sheepishly, and if he wasn’t driving, he definitely would’ve hidden his face in his hands.

“Falling so hard.” Alexei joked, turning up the radio a little bit to darken his own thoughts about _calling_. “Itty Bitty important to you, yes?”

Jack nodded, “He’s.. He’s perfect.”

“When you see him next?” Alexei questioned, “He living in..”

“Samwell.” Jack said, a smile finding its way to his cheeks immediately. “He lives at this hockey frat house thing with a bunch of his other teammates. There’s Holster.. Ransom.. Lardo.. gosh, Chowder.. They all seem so awesome. I’ve talked to Chowder before, apparently he’s been having some friendship issues lately and I felt bad for the kid. Bitty loves him. I’m pretty sure he started tearing up when he noticed he was talking to me.”

It was at that moment that Alexei was happy that Jack wanted him to talk to Bitty. He had been desperately needing some sort of friendship other than the ones between him and his teammates. “He play hockey?” Alexei asked.

“Yes!” Jack exclaimed, looking over at Alexei quickly. “He.. He’s amazing. He’s apparently a phenomenal baker—I’ve heard so many good things about his pies and pastries. Sometimes he calls me and I just watch him as he bakes. He’s so adorable..” He went into a small Bitty induced trance before snapping back to reality. “His accent is so thick and perfect, gosh, and he used to be a figure skater. He has this vlog-”

Alexei listened as best as he could, distracted by the vibrating in his pocket. He couldn’t respond to Vince just yet, he had to think everything through first.

His voice was unique to the point where Alexei was afraid Vince would piece it together immediately. He knew Vince watched the Falconers where Alexei somehow had interviews, and interviews included talking. His broken English.. Russian accent.. it seemed too obvious. 

But he couldn’t trust himself to pick up his phone and message Vince that, because knowing himself, he would mindlessly type out his number accidentally—not being able to hold back.

All he could do was plaster a smile on his face, listen to the small tales of Bitty and his Samwell hockey team, and become vaguely aware of the love drilled into every one of Jack’s words.

_**SCENE V.** _

Usually Alexei wasn’t nervous before games. He would have everything under control, faith in his step, pride in his stride, but right now he was pretty sure nothing was under control.

He couldn’t stop thinking about Vince and everything that came along with him. His mind was filled with all of the different sexualities, all of them taunting him.

“Zimmermann, Mashkov, Snowy— _get in goal_ , Marty, you’re all on.” 

Alexei snapped his head up, nodding while following behind the men and getting onto the ice.

Suddenly, all of his nerves seemed to settle within his bones. He eased into his position, closing his dark chocolate eyes and breathing in, and out. This helped him become familiar with the ice, making his body feel comfortable as he glided through the plays. He clutched his hands tightly onto his stick, fixing his helmet, before opening his eyes.

Kent Parson was across the ice, glaring at the entire team of Falconers. He was short, but held fury beneath each one of his steps. Alexei’s eyes landed on him first—Not because he felt intimidated, but because he looked _dead._

His eyes had deep bags indented beneath their grey hinge, and around the rough edges, were red veins. _Bloodstained._ His grey eyes were as cold as they were at their last game, if not, worse. Parson had a cocky smirk plastered onto his dull face, though anyone could easily see through it. His stance was a little bit wobbly, and he seemed to have trouble balancing himself between the ice and his blades.

Alexei looked away from him and at the rest of the team. They all seemed pretty normal. Victory glinted in all of their glances. He wondered if Parson had a rough night, or way too good of a night.

A horn sounded throughout the entire stadium, and the crowd went wild. As they were playing in Vegas, the crowd was mostly filled with black Aces jerseys rather than blue for the Falconers, but that didn’t make Alexei any less confident that they’d win.

Jack easily got the puck during the faceoff and sent it behind him. The puck flew in every corner of the ice, gliding, soaring, and it was during the second period when Alexei got a goal. His eyes had been open and he watched every glide he took, quickly skating between the offenders before shooting from mid-ice, smiling accomplished when the goal buzzer roared.

He was tackled by his teammates, and out of the boos and cheers of the crowd he could hear Poots exclaiming, “Fuck yeah, Tater!” Into his ear.

Adrenaline crashed through his veins. He had just tied the game, and the Aces didn’t seem too happy about that.

They started with possession of the puck, but it was quickly taken by Alexei once again. He was gliding up the right side of the ice, aiming his stick to pass to Jack, who seemed to be perfectly aligned with the net. He went to send the puck, but before he could manage to do so, his body collided with another one.

A _check._

Alexei was a strong person, so he usually survived checks easily. He would groan, before getting up and resuming the play. This time, it felt different. It was like the light inside of him had immediately been switched off.

He felt his body heavily collide with the boards, groaning as he fell stomach first on to the cold ice. His helmet slammed into the ground, and his body landed weirdly on his left leg. Incredible pain ran through his bones, and for a couple of seconds, Alexei couldn’t move.

All he saw when he got up were devilish grey eyes piercing into his own. Alexei blamed it on his pain, because Parson’s eyes didn’t seem grey anymore. They seemed greenish. He knew he was losing it.

He saw Jack already up in Parson’s face, shoving him into the boards and yelling angry nonsense. 

The entire play stopped. Alexei’s leg hurted too much—he couldn’t get up. He laid there helplessly on the ice, pain sprawled along his features. There were referees already leading Parson off the ice for the hit, and pulling Jack away from him.

“BULLSHIT!” Alexei heard Jack cry, “Misconduct? Mashkov can’t fucking get up!”

But Alexei tried. He felt the medics surrounding him, but he still tried his best to get up. He didn’t dare look down at his leg, fearing what he’d see. He hoped it wasn’t anything serious—he couldn’t give up hockey this early.

Everything went by in a daze. The last thing he saw were—yup, green eyes from Parson, and though they still seemed tired, they seemed pitiful, too.

Alexei sent him his biggest glare. He couldn’t begin to fathom how angry he was at Parson. He couldn’t begin to fathom how angry he was at _himself._

He knew that as he sat in the locker room, laid across a bed and medics removing his pads and clothes that surrounded his legs, that Jack was out there on the ice, blaming himself for the entire thing. Jack was just like that. It was all or nothing.

Closing his eyes, Alexei tried to focus on the game. He remembered how he had tied the game up, and how his boys were out there, fighting for their win. 

Somehow, Alexei knew that they had already won. 

_**SCENE VI.** _

“The doctors just told me that your left leg is sprained, but it isn’t anything serious. You’ll have to miss our next two games, but it’s better than never being able to play again, right?”

Seriously, if Jack hadn’t been his best friend and hopelessly in love with Itty Bitty, Alexei would’ve given him the biggest kiss. 

“We win?” Alexei asked instead, looking up from the sheets of his hospital bed. He now had a cast wrapped around his leg, and it was propped up in a way that made the pain lessen.

“Yes, we won.” Jack said, nodding. “Are you sure you’re okay, Tater..?”

“Who got game goal? What score? Zimmboni, I need information!” Alexei exclaimed, smiling a bit. 

Jack blushed a little bit, “Um.. I did. After Parson was benched I felt so angry, y’know? I hated watching you get carried off the ice. So I.. kinda just let the hatred turn into adrenaline, and adrenaline into a goal.”

“Woo!” Alexei whistled, raising his arms up happily. “Good job, Zimmboni. Thank you. Make sure you telling others that I’m okay.”

Jack nodded, “Oh! Yeah, about that. Bitty was watching and saw what happened to you. He wanted me to show you this.”

He handed Alexei his phone, their messages were opened up. Bitty’s name had multiple different heart emoticons next to it. That made Alexei smile.

**_From Bits <3<3<3  
_ ** Hi Mashkov! I saw what happened today and I just wanted to say this:  
I hope you’re okay! That looked like a rough hit. Parson’s a piece of work, isn’t he?  
(Though, seeing Jack look that angry on ice.. I may have to thank you for your injury. Hotness x100)  
I originally baked this one for Jack, but I think you’d appreciate it more.  
Bitty :)  
*image attached*

There was an image of a heart shaped pie, and in icing, was a frowny face in the middle. Alexei laughed quietly, typing back a small message of, _“Thank you Itty Bitty! I am okay. Now hungry. I fly you out to Providence just for pie, yes?”_

Texting Bitty automatically reminded Alexei of Vince. He felt guilty for ignoring him for the past hours, but really, he couldn’t have texted him during his sleep.

He handed Jack his phone back with a smile. “Good together. May replace Zimmboni with Bitty. Get free pie.” Was all Alexei said.

Jack laughed, saying gently, “Thanks, Tater. I’m going to go home for the night, but make sure you rest, okay? I’ll be here tomorrow morning with coffee.”

Alexei noticed how Jack seemed to be extremely comfortable around him now. It was in the way he spoke proudly and didn’t seem shy to speak his mind. It made Alexei feel proud of himself, as well as Jack. 

“Thank you, Zimmboni. See you tomorrow.” 

His phone was laid by his side, fully charged. He unlocked it, taking a deep breath, before opening up Prideouts.

The first thing he saw on his feed were hundreds of posts by Vince.

**kvpride90  
** do you ever hate yourself so much sometimes?  
 _#sigh #literallywhydoihavetoexist #:/_

**kvpride90  
** the falconers deserved that win.  
 _#itsjustthetruth #fuckoff_

**kvpride90  
** ouch

**kvpride90  
** I AM THE KING OF FUCKING SHIT UP!!!!!!!  
 _#whyamilikethis_

**kvpride90  
** loving all of the parson hate on here, he deserves it, honestly. poor fucking mashkov.  
 _#yup #truth #ifonlyyouknew_ _#clown_

Alexei’s eyes widened—and maybe his heart fluttered a bit. Vince had watched the game.

He opened direct messages immediately.

**kvpride90  
** i’m sorry tater i really am   
): you’re mad at me right  
fuck  
we don’t have to call  
it was just an idea   
you won the bet   
i’m happy for you  
i hope you’re okay  
take your time..

If he didn’t feel so numb from the painkillers, he probably would’ve shed a tear filled with guilt. All Vince had asked him was to call, and now he was apologizing for Alexei being a shitty person.

**TatersDream  
** Vince I’m sorry  
Not expecting you ask to call, not ready?   
Still scared of someone knowing me being LGBT  
Lot of things happen, sorry for bad reply  
Not mad at all ((

Vince’s reply was almost immediate.

**kvpride90  
** oh my god tater hi  
i missed you so much  
i’m literally shaking because of your notification  
it’s totally okay if you’re not ready i’m fine with that  
i’ll never judge you, okay?

**TatersDream  
** I’m knowing. )))  
I miss you too. Long day. Tired.  
No shake (((  
How are you?

**kvpride90  
** terrible ):

**TatersDream  
** Not because you losing bet, is it?

**kvpride90  
** wowww  
in a way it is i guess  
but you rightfully won this one  
did you see what happened to mashkov?  
he’s number seven

A shiver ran up Alexei’s spine. He glanced up from his phone screen and to his leg, sighing. 

**TatersDream  
** Yeah. Terrible hit. Parson devil

**kvpride90  
** right  
the media hasn’t said shit about mashkov and i’m kinda worried tbh  
he literally could be dead right now and nobody would fucking know

Alexei didn’t know why he felt so weird talking about his own self. He felt like it was obvious to Vince. 

But he definitely wasn’t dead. Alexei didn’t know how to tell Vince that.

**TatersDream  
** Parson not strong enough to kill someone, tch

He joked, but even Alexei himself could feel the anger within the text. 

**kvpride90  
** i sure hope he isn’t  
maybe he didn’t mean to hit that hard, yk? it’s kinda hard to tell with him

**TatersDream  
** Don’t know. Maybe accident. Hope he’s apologized

Alexei scoffed. Of course Kent fucking Parson wouldn’t apologize. If anything, he was probably proud of himself.

**kvpride90  
** yeah  
i hope he did too.

Their conversation paused for a little while, but Alexei didn’t mind. He could feel the pain from his injury begin to creep up once again.

His pain was disturbed by another notification.

**kvpride90  
** hey tater?

**TatersDream  
** Yes?

**kvpride90  
** um i just wanted to say that i meant what i said earlier  
about imagining your voice and stuff  
this is probably weird and i’m probably gonna scare you off again but here it goes  
would you mind like.. describing it to me or something?  
if it makes you feel better i can describe mine too

Alexei couldn’t stop his heart from fluttering. Vince was being all vulnerable and sweet toward him. It was like he was physically grabbing Alexei’s heart out of his chest.

**TatersDream  
** You wanting me to? I’m bad with words, you knowing ((

**kvpride90  
** you’re amazing at english tater, i promise  
i understand you perfectly fine (:

**TatersDream  
** Okay.. I can explain  
You after?

**kvpride90  
** eeeeeeeee :3 okay!!!

**TatersDream  
** I have Russian accent, thick, very noticeable   
Deep voice   
Talk loudly a lot. Get yelled at because of noise. ))  
Arg. So hard to explain

**kvpride90  
** no you’re okay   
you have a deep voice?

**TatersDream  
** Yes. Very

**kvpride90  
** (:

**TatersDream  
** You wanting know more?

**kvpride90  
** i’ll take whatever you give me, tater (:

**TatersDream  
** I can tell you about face if want…

**kvpride90  
** really????? gosh you don’t have to 

**TatersDream  
** I’m wanting. You already telling me about your eyes, yes? Me not as cool

**kvpride90  
** you’re cooler 

**TatersDream  
** Shhh  
I have brown eyes. Bleh  
No surprise

**kvpride90  
** they’re probably so pretty

Alexei didn’t know if Vince was flirting with him—but it was working. It was a funny thought; because in reality, Vince could be some eighty year old man. 

Alexei really, _really,_ hoped that wasn’t the case. 

**TatersDream  
** Thank you Vince ))))  
Your turn 

**kvpride90  
** okayyy  
my voice is kinda boring  
it’s not deep but it’s like,, kinda feminine? idk  
in the mornings it gets raspy and deep but that’s about it

**TatersDream  
** Pretty voice ))

**kvpride90  
** no

**TatersDream  
** Yessssss

**kvpride90  
** are you tall?

**TatersDream  
** Yes  
Not knowing exact height, but tall

**kvpride90  
** i hope you know that you’re literally my dream boy  
or the way i’m picturing you anyway  
deep voice? mm  
tall? yes  
friendly? yes yes yes!!  
adorable? mhm

_Dream boy._ It took a second for Alexei to fathom that thought. 

**TatersDream  
** Big flirt. 

Was all he decided to write back. He couldn’t think of anything else, but he hoped Vince didn’t think he was trying to be _dry._

(Vince had explained to Alexei that he _couldn’t just_ reply to conversations with “Ok” or an emoji. It was apparently called “dry texting.”)

**kvpride90  
** only when it comes to you

Alexei covered his blushing face with his hands, although knowing Vince couldn’t see him. It still made him feel embarrassed.

**TatersDream  
** Blushing 

**kvpride90  
** cute (:

Alexei shook his head, leaning back into the hospital bed and grinning. This was stupid. The feeling he was beginning to feel in his heart was stupid. He hadn’t seen Vince before, hadn’t even heard his voice, but his words already meant something big to him.

And though Alexei was beginning to get better at his English, he didn’t know how to put his own feelings into words.

**kvpride90  
** well hey, i’ve got to go do something, but i promise i’ll text you afterwards, okay?  
i’m probably gonna need you jsdhfb

**TatersDream  
** Okay! Have fun, I be here  
<3

**kvpride90  
** <3<3

Alexei closed his phone, sighing as the overwhelming loneliness swarmed around him. He groaned, bringing a hand up to rub at his eyes, before closing them as well. 

His sleep was everything but peaceful.

_**SCENE VII.** _

“Fuck, I won’t be here for a while-”

“You know you’re not allowed-”

“I fucking know, okay? Can I at least-”

Alexei woke up from the hushed voices piercing into his hospital room. He felt absolutely disgusting—almost as if he had partied all night. He knew it was the polar opposite. 

When his eyes opened, he definitely didn’t expect Kent Parson to whisper-arguing with Jack by the foot of his bed. None of them noticed his awakening yet.

“I still don’t get how they let you inside.” Jack scoffed, and Alexei could see he was carrying two coffees.

“Why do you have to be so fucking difficult? I want to apologize, okay? What’s so surprising about that?” Parson argued back, crossing his arms. Compared to Jack, he was half of his size, but his face was way more intimidating. 

“Because I’ve only known you for less than twenty-four hours and you’ve already put my best friend into a cast, _Parson._ ” Jack sneered, “You’re lucky it wasn’t worse.”

“I didn’t even-” Parson breathed in heavily, controlling his emotions. “Can you just fuck off for a second? I’ll be gone before you know it.”

Jack seemed to be thinking for a second, before glaring at him. “Fine. But if I come back and you’ve done some stupid shit to him, I won’t hold back.”

Parson looked annoyed, “Okay, Zimmermann, I get it.” 

In a swift motion, Jack left the room, leaving Parson thankfully and giving him a middle finger, before closing the door. Alexei couldn’t hold back a small laugh. He was thankful that his friend would always have his back, no matter what.

It made him realize that Jack would protect him no matter what. He didn’t have to be afraid to talk to Jack about anything. 

He made a mental note of it—hoping he would remember later.

“Oh.” Parson’s eyes snapped back toward him, “You’re.. awake?”

Alexei looked at him, too tired to put up a mean demeanor. He was still tired, and didn’t care to hide it. “Mm.. Why here?” He asked questionably.

There was a look of surprise on Parson’s face. The room went quiet.

“What?” Alexei broke the silence, sitting up in the bed.

Parson’s eyes were still green, but Alexei swore he remembered them being grey. “You’re.. Russian?” 

_Really?_ Alexei raised an eyebrow. “You breaking my leg, come here, wake me up, to ask if I’m Russian? You think Mashkov French name?”

“N- No, sorry.” Parson looked away, out of the window. He seemed sheepish. “I.. uh.. came here to apologize. I thought you’d be angry.”

Alexei shifted in his sheets, frowning at how warm the bed was. He felt as if he were suffocating. “I am. You break leg.”

“I know.” Parson put his head in his hands, sighing, “I.. I don’t know how to do this.”

“Do what?” Alexei asked, intrigued. So far, Kent Parson had definitely not been what he expected. On ice he seemed so full of himself, but now he just looked like a bundle of panic and guilt.

“Apologize.” Parson looked up at him, “I.. didn’t mean to hit you that hard. It was just meant to be a regular check.”

Alexei laughed, “Who knew person so small can do hurt so big.”

His words didn’t come out as a joke to Parson. He hadn’t meant anything rude by them, just trying to clear the awkwardness. 

Whispering, Parson nodded solemnly, “Yeah..”

Their gazes connected. Brown eyes met green. Green panicked.

“Uh.. What usually happens after an apology?” Parson asked truthfully.

“Forgiving. But I’m not knowing if I’m forgiving. Give me time, yes?” Alexei said, pulling out his phone. “Give me number.”

Parson’s eyes widened, “Number? Like.. my phone?”

“What else?” Alexei shrugged, “Credit card?”

This was the first time Alexei saw Kent Parson smile. His eyes were back to normal, with a small hinge of blue in them. He wondered why Parson didn’t smile all of the time. 

“Okay, I get it, I’m an idiot.” Parson joked back, taking out his own phone. “You’re quite sassy, you know that?”

“Sassy?” Alexei questioned, “What is meaning?”

Parson took Alexei’s phone gently, typing his name and putting his number in. “A good type of bitch-y ness.”

Alexei looked at him with tender eyes. “You calling me a bitch?”

“No!” Parson exclaimed, the smile creeping back onto his face. “It’s not like that.”

Now Alexei understood why he didn’t smile a lot. If he did, the sun would have a run for its money, as there had now been something brighter and prettier. 

“Mmm.” Alexei tutted, “May I having phone back or are you take that? Breaking leg not enough?”

“Gosh.” Parson rolled his eyes, handing Alexei his phone. “You know, I came into here half expecting to be punched in the face.”

Alexei giggled, raising an eyebrow and asking, “Ooh. You wanting that instead?” 

Shaking his head, Parson sent him one more smile, before it faded away as it always would. “No. I’m thankful. But I don’t think I deserve this conversation. You should hate me.”

“You not meaning hit, right?” Alexei asked, shrugging, “Bad hit. Not bad person.”

All of his past grudges against Parson was slowly being shoved behind the newfound interest in him. He probably shouldn’t have judged him so hard without meeting him correctly.

“I didn’t mean it.” Parson nodded. “I promise.”

Alexei sent him a gentle smile, “Well, why should I hate?”

Apparently his words made Kent shy, because he glanced down to the ground, shoving his hands in his pockets. Alexei took the time to take in what he was wearing. He had a black snapback that tamed his blonde hair, but his cowlick was still blatantly obvious. He wore a plaid shirt, along with dark denim jeans. 

He, basically, looked like the teenagers that would beat up kids in high school for no reason. But that thought faded away when he opened his mouth.

Parson shrugged. “Used to it.”

Alexei opened his mouth to say something, but his words were cut off by others.

“Tater, you good?” Jack’s voice chimed in, peeking in his room through the door.

Parson seemed to be more startled than Alexei himself. His eyes had never been so wide as he quickly grabbed his phone in his pocket, reading something that Alexei couldn’t see.

“Yes, I’m alive.” Alexei smiled, waving Jack inside the room. “Where being my coffee?”

Jack smiled back, “Oh! Sorry, I forgot to give it to you. It may be cold.” He walked over to the side of Alexei’s bed, handing him the cup. He was right, it was cold, but Alexei didn’t care. He’d prefer anything but hospital food.

“Thank you, Zimmboni.” Warmly, Alexei nudged him. “You letting Parson in?”

Glancing up at his name being called, Alexei had to hold in a gasp. Brown eyes met pure grey ones. 

“Yeah, I did.” Jack seemed to not notice. He looked at Parson. “You guys done?”

Parson nodded almost too quickly. “Y- Yeah, um, it was nice to meet you Mashkov. I’m.. sorry it had to be like this. Feel.. feel better soon, okay?”

It was somewhat upsetting to see Parson leave. Alexei was enjoying his company, weirdly enough.

“Bye bye.” Alexei waved at him, watching Parson slam the door closed.

Alexei took a sip of his coffee, looking up at Jack with a disgusted face, “Zimmboni. You make this?”

Shaking his head, Jack frowned, “No, why?”

“So bad.” Alexei cried out jokingly, “Worse than hospital food!”

Laughter filled the tense room.

_**SCENE VIII.** _

When Alexei was allowed to go home, it was later that night, and the pain in his legs were already beginning to subside. The doctors had taught him how to properly use crutches, despite his complaints against it. (“Why not using wheelchair? Getting Zimmboni to push me around everywhere!”)

Now, he was sitting on the couch of his hotel room, watching the replay of the game against the Aces. His teammates had told him not to, as doing it would only make him miss hockey even more, but he couldn’t help himself. He wanted to watch them win.

He had his phone in his hand, opening up Prideouts to go and text Vince. He hadn’t messaged him today and he was beginning to feel worried.

**TatersDream  
** Hello Vince  
You okay?

There wasn’t an immediate response. Alexei sighed, closing his phone and looking back at the television. 

He watched as Kent was skating behind him, his number 90 flaring from the back of his jersey, watching all of his moves. It was like an impending doom. 

Alexei watched as he got shoved into the boards, and _yeah,_ it looked terrible. He bit his lip painfully. It felt as if he were reliving the entire moment over again. He saw as his leg was snapped back, his face contorted into pain.

On the ice he hadn’t noticed, but Kent Parson had been the one to immediately get the medics over toward him. He had been trying to catch up to Alexei, but Jack had shoved him off and tried to pick a fight.

It made Alexei feel a sort of happiness. He opened his phone again, going to Kent’s contact and typing out a message.

**_To Kent Parson_ **

_Hi Kent. Is Alexei._

_I’m watching the game back, and I want to say thank you._

_Didn’t know you got medics_

_Sorry_

He took this opportunity to answer all of the other messages he had received since his accident. There were many kind messages from his teammates and even some from a random number that he didn’t recognize. He would deal with it later.

**kvpride90  
** hi tater.

Alexei smiled immediately. Vince had that effect.

**TatersDream  
** Vince!!!! ))))  
How are you being?  
Missed you lots

**kvpride90  
** i missed you too.

**TatersDream  
** Are you okay??

**kvpride90  
** yeah why wouldn’t i be?

**TatersDream  
** Just making sure )))))))  
I had worst coffee today bleh  
Never have black!!!!!

**kvpride90  
** haha

Alexei frowned. That was one of the things that Kent mentioned when explaining what dry texting was.

**TatersDream  
** Are you sure you being okay?

**kvpride90  
** yeah why

**TatersDream  
** Being little dry (((( I’m not minding but just making sure you okay

**kvpride90  
** i am fine stop asking me

**TatersDream  
** Okay  
Sorry  
Not meaning (((

Alexei’s heart broke a little inside.

**TatersDream  
** You knowing you can talk to me about anything, yes?

Loneliness. He hadn’t felt it in a while, as Alexei tried his best to surround himself with people so he wouldn’t feel out of the loop or wouldn’t be swarmed with his own toxic mind, but right now, he had never felt lonelier. 

He stared into the television, hands beginning to shake. Alexei clenched his eyes shut, muttering random words in Russian so he could forget about all of his thoughts.

_“Have you found your dream girl, Alyosha?” His mother asked him once._

_Alexei was sweaty from his run outdoors. He paused his music, but didn’t need to ask her to repeat what she had asked of him. He had heard this question too many times._

_“No, mama. I don’t want a dream girl.” He would always reply, rolling his eyes._

_She asked, and asked, and asked. Every day when Alexei would arrive home, she would approach him and wonder, “Have you found her yet, Alyosha?”_

_Frustration stabbed through his veins. Mama only asked because she hoped that one day, his answer would change. And she was right. One day it did change._

_“No, but I saw a pretty boy at school today. Maybe he’s my dream boy?”_

_His mama shook her head, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. “No, Alyosha.”_

_“I never asked for your permission.” He shrugged, removing his jacket and hanging it up. “I want a dream boy; I want a dream girl. Is there a problem?”_

_“In your dreams.” She repeated, “You will have a boy in your dreams. You cannot survive around here like this. You will find your dream girl, or you will be alone.”_

Alexei’s body was frozen. He let out a soft breath, his heart shaking, body tense. He couldn’t tell if he had tears running from his eyes. He felt unsafe. 

He didn’t get a response that night.

_**SCENE IX.** _

Usually Alexei would complain and chirp Jack for all of his rambling about Bitty. He would send him a quick look, ask, _“You sure you two aren’t married yet?”_ and get a glare in response. But tonight, Alexei didn’t seem to mind it.

They were back in Providence, no longer in Vegas, and Alexei was appreciative. He missed the warmth of his apartment. 

He had never been over at Jack’s before. His apartment seemed extremely plain. The grey walls had absolutely no photos hung on them, and his kitchen only held a blender and a bag of protein powder. Alexei scrunched his nose up, walking to the living room, struggling a little bit with his crutches.

“Come sit down!” Jack yelled, waving him over. “Time to call Bittyy~” He sang happily.

Alexei sighed quietly. He hadn’t gotten a response from Vince in two days, and he didn’t know how to feel about it. 

Sadness was mostly it. Disappointment. Fear. Struggling about his sexuality alone was difficult. He missed having someone to talk to.

He knew that he could talk to Jack if he asked. But talking to Jack felt more serious, and he didn’t know if he was ready for anything like that. He didn’t know if he’d ever be ready.

Alexei sat beside Jack on the couch, laying his crutches to the side. Jack looked at him and smiled warmly, grabbing a pillow for Alexei to rest his leg on. Alexei smiled thankfully. 

On Jack’s laptop, FaceTime popped up instantly. Bitty was at the top of the list.

The phone rang for a second, before Bitty answered. His blonde hair was in a small ponytail, his big, bright brown eyes tinged up happily. His red lips were glossy, (Alexei wondered if it were because of lip gloss or just his natural beauty) and he seemed to already be blushing. Bitty wore a red sweater that hugged his waist tightly, dipping to expose his shoulder. 

“Hi Bitty.” Jack whispered. Alexei didn’t have to look over to acknowledge that he was speechless. Their love was embarrassingly adorable.

“Hi honey,” The Georgian waved from behind the screen, tilting his head over to Alexei and smiling, “Hey Tater.”

Alexei returned the smile, sitting up straighter. “Itty Bitty!” He exclaimed, “How are you? How Samwell? Hockey?” 

Bitty laughed softly, crossing his arms and looking over at Jack sternly. “Have you been tellin’ Tater about Samwell?”

Blushing, Jack nodded. “I-”

“It’s adorable, honey.” Bitty said before Jack could ramble. He knew how insecure Jack could sometimes get. “Samwell’s been great! The team has been great, Haus’ been great. Our captains are really workin’ their bottoms off to get us to the Playoffs.”

“Good!” Alexei nodded, throwing him a thumbs up. 

“Oh! By the way, Tater, did you get my text?” Bitty asked hesitantly, “I was wonderin’ if it would be — y’know, filtered out? Because you’re all famous like Mr. Zimmermann, over here.” He nudged his shoulder to the left. 

Because of the FaceTime intervention, Bitty really nudged Alexei, but the two boys knew what he was really meaning to.

Jack scrunched his nose up, cheeks flaring. “Hey!”

“It’s a compliment, honey.” Bitty smiled.

Alexei shook his head, “No, I’m not knowing.” before clawing through his sweater pockets to get his phone. “I check.” He explained, before unlocking his phone and going to Messages.

Secretly, he was hoping to have a notification from Vince. Something—anything, to let Alexei know that Vince didn’t hate him, and that he was okay. 

None prevailed. 

He revisited the unknown number from the other day, noticing that he had more unread messages. Alexei really needed to keep up.

**_From Unknown Number_ **

_Hi Tater! It’s Bitty :) Just wondering what your favorite type of pie is? Thanks! <3 _

Alexei looked up at Bitty’s pixelated face, raising an eyebrow, “Pie? Why asking?” He questioned, typing his answer anyway.

**_To Itty Bitty_ **

_Apple!! ))))_

“Well..” Jack began, looking over at Alexei nervously. “I was thinking.. We’re free this weekend, right?”

Alexei nodded, urging him to continue speaking.

“We could go up to Samwell and meet Bitty?” Jack quickly said, shrugging, “And the rest of his friends, obviously.”

The words made Alexei’s heart race. “Yes!” He exclaimed almost too quickly, “You making me pie, Itty Bitty?”

Bitty laughed, a brighter smile plastered onto his face. He nodded. “Yes sir! Apple pie is one of my specialties, you’re lucky, Mashkov.” He teased.

“I’m knowing.” Alexei winked, looking over at Jack and raising an eyebrow, “I’m coming on road trip, yes?”

Jack nodded. “That’s why we asked.”

Their conversation continued smoothly and naturally. Jack and Bitty were mostly talking about the drive and where they’d stay, to which Bitty replied hastily with a, “In the Haus, honey!”

The Haus was this huge frat house that Bitty and his teammates all lived in. There wasn’t enough room for Jack and Alexei, but Alexei only waved it off, saying he’d sleep on the ground.

They all planned what to bring, what to wear, and Bitty made sure to tell Jack to bring all of his sweaters. Jack obliviously said yes, to which Alexei rolled his eyes and muttered, “Whipped.”

Everything was going smoothly. Alexei was smiling, chatting up a storm, not noticing his ringing phone. 

He had forgotten about Vince for a little while. His life seemed weirdly normal without Vince—no thoughts about his sexuality, no confusion. 

“Give second.” Alexei put his hand up, “I’m leaving room, don’t start kissing. Bleh!” He exclaimed, grabbing his crutches and getting up with difficulty.

Jack rolled his eyes, standing up and helping him. “If only.” He whispered, winking, before sitting back down on the couch. 

Alexei waddled over to Jack’s washroom, closing the door and leaning against it. He took his phone out of his pocket, opening Prideouts immediately.

No message notifications. He groaned, visibly annoyed, but his feed was filled up with posts by Vince.

Which meant he was being ignored. 

**kvpride90  
** what will hurt more: staying sober or going blackout drunk  
 _#help #:) #justwondering #dontmindme_

**kvpride90  
** ugh.  
 _#ugh_

**kvpride90  
** are there fucking lessons somewhere like,,, that can teach someone how to speak properly? i need to learn communication skills  
 _#saytherapyandilllosemyshit #itsprobablytherapythough #fuck_

**kvpride90  
** i hate fear so so much.  
 _#literallytheresanentiremovie #abouthowfearisbad #everwatchedIT? #fuckingclownbitchgoesafterfears #IMTHECLOWNOML_

Alexei frowned, running a hand through his dark brown hair. He didn’t know why Vince was afraid to reach out to him. He’d listen, try his best, hope that his words helped him.

He knew that Vince’s words always helped. All he wanted to do was reciprocate them.

So, Alexei decided to make his first post on Prideouts. He went to his profile, pressed the plus sign near his name, and typed.

**TatersDream  
** Sad  
 _#((_

He didn’t really know how the posting system worked on this app, so he could only hope that Vince would see it.

Typing another post, Alexei’s finger hovered over the ‘send’ button. Should he be doing this? Or did it look pathetic?

He thought of Vince messaging him back and decided none of those thoughts were worth it.

**TatersDream  
** Ever missing someone so much it hurts..?  
 _#((_

Closing the app, Alexei sighed. He tried not to think about it too much because in his brain, small thoughts turned into hurricanes. They cracked his surface, rattling deep beneath his surface, leaving him gasping for air. Thoughts destroyed his security he had within himself, washing it away in a mess created from his own confusion and mystery.

But there he was, now on the ground of Jack’s washroom, thinking too much. He put his head in his hands, attempting to settle his breathing, but it was no use. He was already gone—washed away, one with the debris.

He clenched his fist. His heart was shaking, body aching, tears beading at the edges of his dark chocolate eyes. 

Chocolate that underneath the wrapper of perfection, was cracked. Nobody could see the broken pieces because of the mask that hid in front of it. The mask of a simple smile. The mask of a laugh.

Before he could get washed away completely, he took in a breath, coughing irritably. 

“Alexei.. Alexei..” He heard a whisper of. He could feel arms snaked around his waist, saving him from the hurricane, merging the chocolate pieces back together.

He tried to reply, but the words wouldn’t come out. There were tears falling down his cheek rapidly.

“It’s Jack. You’re safe. We’re in my washroom, in my apartment. Try to steady your breathing with mine, okay?” 

Alexei nodded tiredly, clutching onto Jack so he could feel grounded. He could hear Jack exaggerating his breathing, and he tried his best to follow along.

“Good. You’re doing good.” Jack reminded him, “You’re good, Alexei.” 

Twenty minutes passed, but to Alexei, it felt like none. They both laid on the cold ground of the washroom, Jack hugging him tightly, guilt hanging in the air.

When Alexei mustered the energy to, he pulled back from Jack’s embrace, looking into his eyes. “Thank you.” He whispered, rubbing his tear stained cheeks. 

“Does this happen often?” Jack questioned, looking at him skeptically. 

Alexei shrugged. “It.. new. Never happen this bad before.” He said sadly, looking down into his lap. He couldn’t look at Jack, not like this.

Jack frowned, biting his lip. “It happens to me too. Anxiety attacks, Panic attacks. You’re not alone, Alexei.”

_Not alone._

Alexei breathed in shakily, room going quiet. He wasn’t alone. He could tell Jack about his sexuality. He could have somebody.

“W- What happening to Itty Bitty?” He asked instead, cringing at his own voice.

“He had to go help Chowder with some friend issues.” Jack explained, before repeating. “You’re not alone. I’m here for you if you need anybody. Okay?”

Alexei couldn’t reply. He didn’t know what to say, or how to word it. His eyes started watering without him noticing.

Jack frowned. “What’s wrong?” He asked in the softest voice, “I hate watching you go through this alone, Alexei. I’m your best friend. I’ll listen.”

He thought about what he told Vince, how he said he’d listen if he needed anybody. But now, Alexei was in Vince’s shoes.

Alexei needed someone to listen.

“I’m..” He began, glancing everywhere but at Jack. “I’m.. I’m thinking I’m Bisexual.”

More tears fell. He snapped his eyes shut, shaking his head mindlessly. “I.. I’m not knowing what to do. _Help please._ ” 

Jack nodded immediately, wrapping him in another hug. “I’m here. You’re valid, Alexei. No matter what your sexuality is. I’m always going to be here for you.”

Alexei hugged him back tightly, squeezing him gently. He let tears fall into the soft fabric of Jack’s shirt, before asking, muffled in his shoulder, “C- Can I tell you how I find out? Will you listen?”

“Of course I will, Alexei.” Jack said sincerely.

And he listened.

_**SCENE X.** _

The drive back to Alexei’s apartment was filled with a comfortable silence. After his panic attack, Jack had led him back to the couches, letting Alexei lean on him rather than struggling with the crutches.

Alexei told Jack almost everything; leaving Vince out of the mess. He told Jack about how he always felt scared to shower with the other boys, and could never understand why. He stumbled upon a website explaining sexualities to him, and he realized that what he felt was fear. 

All of his life he had been this perfect man figure for his family, and he never got to think about dating anyone other than a woman. Once he got to thinking about it more, he started to understand his fear, and put a label on it.

He wasn’t straight. 

Through broken English and a broken voice, Jack tried his best to understand and respond when appropriate. At the end of their conversation, Alexei felt a bit of pressure lifted off of him. If his team's captain supported him, then the rest of the team hopefully would

Alexei was watching the trees pass by, basking in the air of the night while sighing. He didn’t regret telling Jack; but he didn’t know how to feel about it, either.

“Thank you, Zimmboni. For listen.” He said once they arrived at his apartment complex, “Very thankful.”

Jack softly smiled at him, getting out of the car and walking over to Alexei’s side, helping him out. “It’s what friends do.”

Alexei smiled back, stepping his one foot on the ground while holding his crutches. “I can go in myself, Zimmboni. Not fully useless.”

Laughing, Jack nodded, “Okay, Tater. I’ll message you. Be ready for Saturday!”

“I will.” Alexei waved, watching as Jack rode away.

He took the elevator to his room, fidgeting with the keys once he got to the door. He got inside quickly, immediately flopping onto the couch.

Bitty and Alexei had been in small contact, and were texting. It wasn’t an awkward or surprising friendship to rise, but Alexei was thankful for someone else who he knew would support him.

On his phone's homepage, Alexei looked at Prideouts. He breathed out shakily, whispering, _fuck it,_ and opening his messages with Vince.

**TatersDream  
** Just came out to my friend. Cry a lot. Feel better.  
Missing you. 

Alexei stared at the screen, eyes widening.

The response was immediate.

**kvpride90  
** seriously???

Alexei didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He did a little bit of both.

**TatersDream  
** Vince ((  
Yes. I did. Feeling bad for hiding  
So so hard. But I did. Feel better now

**kvpride90  
** i’m proud of you tater ):

**TatersDream  
** Thank you )  
I’m seeing your page, everything okay?  
If you wanting to talk..

**kvpride90  
** i miss you

**TatersDream  
** I miss you more 

**kvpride90  
** i’m sorry  
a lot happened and i didn’t know how to take it  
i thought i had been tricked or something   
don’t know how to explain it properly  
ugh

**TatersDream  
** It’s okay Vince. I miss you a lot  
I’m tricking you?

The response wasn’t immediate. Alexei furrowed his eyebrows.

**kvpride90  
** no  
i’m sorry  
can we talk about something else? i need some happiness if it’s okay (:

**TatersDream  
** Of course! I like happy Vince )))))

They conversed constantly for a while, the sun falling and leaving Alexei’s apartment dark and cold. He shivered, looking at the time. 

Eyes widening at the sight of one am, he grabbed his phone, debating, before writing.

**TatersDream  
** If you wanting.. I can giving my number?  
So we can talk? Like you want?  
Saying goodnight? ))<3

He had a smile on his face when he sluggishly got up from the couch, limping over to the kitchen with his crutches. When he came to Providence he had invested in probably hundreds of frozen dinners for him to eat, so he took one out of the freezer and shoved it into the microwave, pressing buttons, before leaning on the counter tiredly.

The pain was obviously there, but the painkillers numbed the punch. Alexei hated that he felt useless. He could barely walk, how the hell was he meant to be a hockey player?

**kvpride90  
** oh my goodness tater   
i..  
i can’t  
i’m sorry  
thank you for asking really i’d love for that  
but i can’t  
i’m sorry

Alexei looked down at his phone, frowning. He guessed he mustered all of the courage for nothing.

He shook his head, breathing in, remustering the thought. He did it for _himself._

**TatersDream  
** Aw ((  
You have beautiful voice I’m thinking ))  
Maybe soon?

**kvpride90  
** you’re too sweet )))):  
soon definitely. i promise

**TatersDream  
** I’m believing you, don’t worry <3<3

**kvpride90  
** )): <33

**TatersDream  
** Why sad?

**kvpride90  
** i genuinely don’t deserve you  
i feel like i’m just going to end up hurting you 

**TatersDream  
** No no no don’t thinking that (((  
If you being honest and kind, then I’m happy ))  
You are, yes?

**kvpride90  
** there’s some things i haven’t mentioned i guess..  
but we can start talking about them? 

**TatersDream  
** Always here to listen ))

Alexei jumped at the sound of his microwave beeping. He put a quick hand on his heart, breathing out heavily. 

He felt somewhat giddish. Vince was finally confiding in him. It felt like the start of something new.

**kvpride90  
** i actually play hockey too?   
i know it seems like nothing but yeah  
i’ve been playing since i was 10 maybe  
my dad built a rink in our backyard and i’d go out every winter and just play until sunset  
i remember my skin going blue at one point because of how cold it was outside but i just fell in love with the sport

Alexei smiled widely, spooning spaghetti into his mouth. Adding onto the list of another thing they had in common.

**TatersDream  
** Me too!! I playing hockey ))))) Fun, right?

**kvpride90  
** very very   
i bet you’re really good  
nhl worthy

**TatersDream  
** I’m hoping so 

**kvpride90  
** are you feeling better?

**TatersDream  
** Huh?

**kvpride90  
** ???  
OH  
from your posts  
i mean  
on here  
you seemed sad

**TatersDream  
** Sad because I miss you silly! But now here. Not sad. I update.

Alexei went to the homepage and giggled, writing, _“Happy!”_ with a bunch of eyeless happy faces and pressing post.

**TatersDream  
** You seeing?

**kvpride90  
** yup (: 

They talked until Vince said his eyes were closing in on themselves, and that sadly he had to depart. 

**TatersDream  
** Love you!!  
<3<3<3

Alexei wrote, not thinking much of it.

**kvpride90  
** love u too  
<3.

That night, Alexei slept peacefully, the pain in his leg lessening as the hours went on. He dreamt of colour changing eyes and blonde hair—too tired to question where the blonde came from.

_**SCENE XI.** _

“Ugh.” Alexei groaned, throwing his luggage in the back of Jack’s truck. “Taking so much. You moving there, Zimmboni?”

Jack rolled his eyes, helping Alexei fit all of the bags. “I wish.” He said solemnly, looking at Alexei, “Are you sure you’re okay coming up with me? I don’t want you to feel forced.”

“Shut up, Zimmboni!” Alexei exclaimed. He didn’t need to rely on his crutches as much, and it made him feel proud. As if he actually felt like the hockey player he was. He walked to the passengers seat of the car, needing a little assistance to get inside. “I’m wanting to see Itty Bitty and eat cake. Not telling nutritionist, okay?”

“Definitely not.” Jack joked, getting in the front seat beside him. He turned on the radio, Beyonce coming on immediately. Alexei wasn’t surprised.

The drive from Providence to Samwell was a good six hours, so Alexei tried to sleep most of the time away. His advantage with a sprained leg was that he didn’t have to drive, and he could be lazy the whole time.

He could hear Jack singing the lyrics of some of Beyonce’s music under his breath, but in French. Alexei couldn’t understand him sometimes.

“Has team been doing good?” Alexei asked Jack as they approached a stoplight.

Jack nodded. “Yeah. You haven’t been watching?”

“Poots killing me if. Says, _make you miss hockey too much._ I watch game with Aces, but that’s it.” Alexei explained, yawning.

“Of course. We’ve been doing good. But everyone misses our cheerful Russian. It isn’t the same without you, Tater. We lost once and it was like someone had _died._ Happiness drained from the room.”

A smile ghosted Alexei’s lips. “Kind. I’m being back soon. Next week. We play against..?”

“You’re coming back on our game against the Aeros, I think? Then we play Aces next, which, I think you shouldn’t play. They’re total bad luck. And Parson’s a bitch, so..” Jack laughed, rubbing his eyes as he put his focus back on the read.

Alexei laughed with him. “Maybe. At hospital, he being nice. On ice, rodent. Parson confusing me.”

With a shrug, Jack sighed. “He seems to be quite the character. I don’t know what to make of him yet.”

Alexei yawned into his arm once more, pulling his phone out of his pocket and opening up his messages. Before leaving his house, he made sure to take some painkillers for his leg, and apparently they numbed his headaches as well. He was the worst with car sickness.

He scrolled down to Kent Parson’s name only to realize that he did reply to his message from days ago.

**_From Kent Parson_ **

_hey alexei, thanks for the acknowledgement, but i don’t really think i deserve it._

_i broke your leg after all. what kind of guy would i be if i didn’t get the medics?_

_sorry, -KVP_

Alexei raised his eyebrows, “Parson replied to my text.” He announced, rereading the words. “What KVP mean?”

Leaning over to the radio, Jack turned down the volume to listen better. “Since when did you have Parson’s number?”

“Since hospital.” Alexei shrugged, “Felt bad. He looking sad.”

Jack wasn’t convinced, but just brushed it aside. “I don’t think Kent Parson gives his number out to random strangers.” He said instead.

Offended, Alexei exclaimed playfully, “Stranger? I’m no stranger! Acquaintance.” He rolled his eyes, bringing out his phone and typing again.

**_To Kent Parson_ **

_Apologize so much. How many times I’m telling, it’s okay!!!!_

_It is done. Thankful I’m alive._

He sighed, looking out the window once more, shoving his phone in his pocket and drifting off. His sleep was bumpy and uncomfortable, but Alexei forgot about it instantly when he woke up to a tiny, blonde boy with a bright smile.

“My goodness! Y’all are here!” Bitty exclaimed, jumping excitedly at Jack’s side. They ran into a big hug, Jack picking him up and twirling him around. 

Alexei smiled, rubbing his eyes and sitting up in the passengers seat. “So tiny, Itty Bitty! Can pick up with only thumb.” He joked, attempting to get up.

The crutches were the most annoying part of his injury, but he successfully stood up, the pieces of metal under his arms. He put his arms out, a goofy smile on his face. “Giving me hug, or what?”

Bitty laughed, “Of course.” before softly hugging Alexei, careful to not put any extra pressure on him. “What’s up with you hockey boys and bein’ so damn tall?” He asked, muffled by Alexei’s shoulder.

“Maybe you just tiny.” Alexei shrugged, pulling away. He walked to the back of Jack’s truck and smiled at all of the luggage. “Come help me, Zimmboni!” He sang playfully.

He looked up and saw Jack and Bitty nuzzling noses, and automatically felt bad. He grabbed a bag and began to bring it inside of the Haus.

The house seemed quite clean despite the fact that it was home to tons of men who were just beginning to learn how to adult. The air smelt of crisp apple and cinnamon, touching Alexei’s noise instantly. There was a green couch that three boys currently sat on, controllers in hand, yelling at the television. 

Hardwood flooring was covered by many different fluffy carpets—and when Alexei glanced over to the kitchen, his eyes widened. The counters basically sparkled, and the cabinets looked pristine, but there was a broken down oven that definitely didn’t look like it deserved to be there. The marble counters were covered with different types of pastries, most of them being pies, and he could see a boy with wide eyes already taking a piece of it.

“Mash.. Mashkov..” The dark skinned boy whispered, almost dropping his plate. He seemed starstruck.

“Hello?” Alexei said with a small wave. “I’m seeing you’re eating pie, yes? Good?”

He didn’t speak. It wasn’t until a tall, platinum blonde haired boy walked in, that he got a response. “Oh, cool. Hey Mashkov. I’m Holster.” He fixed his glasses before putting his hand out for Alexei to shake.

Alexei took it gracefully. “Hello Holster.” He shook his head, leaning onto his crutches with some difficulty. 

“This is Ransom.” Holster waved over to the boy, who was still in awe. “He’s kind of platonically in love with you. We told you he and Zimmermann were coming over, brah.” He nudged Ransom.

Ransom looked at Holster, face warm and angry. “But you never said _when!_ I was just trying to stuff my face and-”

“Boys, boys.” Bitty entered the room, carrying most of the bags that had been in the trunk. He noticed Ransom holding a plate of his pie and gasped. “You better not tell me you ate some of my apple pie, Ransom!”

Holster laughed loudly, and the commotion caused others to gather in the kitchen as well. Alexei watched as Jack stayed by Bitty’s side the whole time, smiling at how adorable they were.

Bitty shook his head, looking away and dramatically blocking Ransom from his view. “I’m goin’ to forget I saw that. Everyone, welcome Jack n’ Tater. They’ll both be stayin’ with us for this weekend, and don’t act like I didn’t warn y’all before!”

Lovingly, Jack watched as Bitty talked furiously, rolling his eyes at his Haus-mates. “Tater, darlin’, go sit down. I’ll bring you some pie.” 

It didn’t take much to convince Alexei, so he nodded, turning around and asking. “Where..?”

He could see Holster’s mouth open to speak, but he was cut off by a loud exclamation.

“JACK ZIMMERMANN!” 

Jack’s eyes widened, looking to his side. There was a medium sized Asian boy who was dressed all in aqua apparel, a bright smile behind his braces. “IS THAT YOU?”

Sighing, Bitty walked over to him and ruffled his jet black hair. “This is Chowder. Yes, it’s Jack. Him and Tater will be stayin’ this weekend, we’re goin’ to show them livin’ like the Haus way.”

Chowder’s bright smile never faded. He walked up to Alexei, putting his hand out. “MASHKOV! Hello! I’m Chowder, I can show you where the couch is! You’re really amazing on ice, you know? I saw your hit—GOSH, it looked terrible. I hope you’re okay. You’re.. okay, right?”

Alexei’s eyes widened as he tried to follow along with Chowder’s quick rambling. He laughed, understanding the last bit. “Yes, I’m okay.”

He thought about the entire situation. Here he was, limping to a disgusting dirty couch and sitting down on it, listening as Chowder rambled on about hockey and his love for the Sharks. He thought about the kitchen, filled with pastries and smiles, watching as Bitty walked to the couch with a scrunched up nose.

“You’ll find me dead before I sit on that rusty ol’ couch.” He shivered, handing him the plate. “Apple pie, your favourite.”

The television was still playing a random video game, the boys (and one girl, he found out) sitting on the couch, introducing themselves between cries of anger— _”Lardo!”, “I’m Dex- FUCK YOU, NURSEY! THAT HIT WAS MINE!”, “I’m Nursey, obviously, the best player here.”, “BULLSHIT!”—_ and deprecating insults.

His thought about everything in general. About the company. The friends he had just made.

Yeah, he was okay.

_**SCENE XII.** _

Alexei tried not to complain a lot, especially when he was fortunate to have a roof over his head and food to eat. So he didn’t complain when there weren’t enough beds for him to sleep on.

“I’m sleeping on couch.” He shrugged, patting on the ripped green leather. “Don’t need to go crazy, Itty Bitty. Two nights. Not a lot.”

Bitty’s eyes were wide, shaking his head. “No way! I’m not lettin’ one of my guests sleep on this.. _monstrosity_! We’re goin’ to the store right now, gettin’ you an air mattress. I’ll even let you sit shotgun.” He winked.

Laughing, Alexei sighed. “Okay, okay, you win. But I’m paying, yes?”

“Paying for what?” Jack walked into the living room, looking around confusingly. “Where.. is everyone? Weren’t they all just here?” 

Bitty glanced over at him, leaning into his chest and nodding. “Yes, honey. Ransom and Holster are in the attic, I don’t think Ransom’s leavin’, actually. He’s quite starstruck. Chowder’s playin’ video games with Dex and Nursey in their room, and Lardo’s paintin’ somethin’ for class.”

In the Haus, the feeling of life was quite prominent, and Alexei loved it. He felt more alive being surrounded by all these different people, living out their own story—it was quite admirable.

Jack hugged Bitty, resting his head on top of the blonde bush of hair. “You guys are leaving me..?” He whined.

“You big baby.” Bitty laughed, kissing his cheek. “I was goin’ to ask you anyways. We’re goin’ to go get Tater a blow up mattress, he is _not_ sleepin’ on the couch. Wanna come? I think we got an hour before Walmart closes.”

Alexei pulled out his phone, taking a quick look at his messages as he leaned against the wall. He had gotten better at checking them lately, and he didn’t feel as overwhelmed as he did before.

**_From Kent Parson_ **

_i just feel bad. still. i know it’s been a couple of days._

_how are you feeling? has it healed yet?_

_sorry._

_-KVP_

Alexei rolled his eyes at his phone, muttering, _“Stubborn.”_ under his breath. He quickly typed out his response.

**_To Kent Parson_ **

_Stop. Apologizing!_

_Promise it’s okay_

_Healing quickly. Will be able to play on ice during week, I’m hoping_

_Going against Aeros, then Aces. Play easy, yes?_

_Kidding. It’s game. Do whatever you want_

He looked up and followed Bitty and Jack to the car, getting into the passengers seat as promised, with help from Jack. 

“I’m not knowing.. What is blow-up-mattress?” Alexei questioned, ruffling with his own hair. “Feeling bad for asking, but..”

“Goodness!” Bitty smiled, hopping into the front of his car. It was a drastic difference from Jack’s blue truck. This car was small, sides painted silver, and there were a bunch of flower scented air fresheners in the vents. “It’s a mattress but filled with air. I’m thinkin’ there’s some that’s filled with water, but I do _not_ trust havin’ that in the house with the other boys. Heaven knows..” He shook his head, a fond smile still plastered on his face.

Alexei laughed, “Okay, I’m understanding now.” He laid back in the seat, putting on his seatbelt happily.

Bitty’s phone started ringing loudly, a chime of a random Beyonce song that Alexei didn’t know the name of, but definitely was familiar to, rattling throughout the vehicle.

“Jack, honey, could you answer?” He asked kindly, bending his hand back and handing Jack the phone. 

“Of course.” Jack nodded, answering the call. Alexei tuned them out, focusing his attention back to his own ringing phone.

**_From Kent Parson_ **

_i’m going to be careful, i promise. i don’t want that happening again ):_

**_To Kent Parson_ **

_Accidents happen, no worry, Kent_

_How have Aces been? Good?_

“A.. what-? Keyeg- Alcohol, okay, slow down Chowder. I can barely understand you.. Yes..” Jack mumbled, rubbing his forehead.”Um, okay. I’ll let him know. See you soon.”

Alexei looked over at Jack, raising his eyebrows. “Chowder?”

“He said he wanted uh, to tell you—Bitty—to get some drinks? For tomorrow? Apparently they’re going to throw a party?” He asked.

“Goodness.. Those boys.” Bitty shook his head playfully, beginning to drive. “They’re going to throw a party tomorrow. It’s called a Kegster. I guess they just want to give you both the _real_ Haus experience.”

Alexei gasped, “Ooh. College party? I’m invited?”

“Mhm. You too, Mr. Zimmermann. Unless you don’t want to go, honey. I’d understand.” Bitty looked at him through the mirror, sending him a soft smile. “We can go to a resturant, or somethin’.”

“Okay..” Jack whispered, handing Bitty his phone back. Alexei hummed.

**_From Kent Parson_ **

_we’re doing okay. it’s been kinda difficult to play lately but i think i’ve been doing good?_

_there’s a lot of backlash on the media and stuff.. since the hit. our social media manager keeps telling me to stay off but it’s kinda hard. who knew people could be so cruel?_

_hey.. also, weird question, but i was wondering uh, if you’d be at this party tomorrow?_

_i’ve been getting their invitations since like years. it’s called a kegster or something?? you and zimmermann’s name was on it so i just wanted to ask_

Alexei looked up from his phone, to Bitty. “Hey, Itty Bitty. Kent Parson being invited too?” He asked curiously.

He heard Jack’s small sigh in the background. Bitty shrugged, “Honestly, I don’t doubt it. Those boys get people from all over the globe to these darn parties.” His face became serious, “Who is Kent Parson, again?”

“The person who broke Tater’s leg.” Jack spoke up, the smallest bit of anger hidden in his voice.

Alexei frowned. “Accident. He not that bad. I’m talking to now. Seems lonely.” 

“Ooh. Another hockey player. If you don’t want him to come, Tater, I can always let Ransom and Holster know. They’ll kick him off of the guest list in a heartbeat.” Bitty said, putting his free hand on Alexei’s shoulder and squeezing.

He thought about it for a minute. It would be kind of awkward to meet Kent Parson in person, but he didn’t really mind the company. 

“He can come. Who knows? Maybe he needing friend.” Alexei shrugged, glancing back down to his phone.

**_To Kent Parson_ **

_Yes. I be at party._

_Come? please!_

_Friends ))))) Make up for broken leg if you coming._

**_From Kent Parson_ **

_tempting._

_i’ll think about it_

**_To Kent Parson_ **

_What your favorite pie? I ask friend to make for you. )))_

“Itty Bitty..?” Alexei asked cautiously, looking over at the blonde driving

“Darlin’, what did you do?” 

“I’m only asking Kent Parson his favourite pie.. Maybe I’m telling you, we can make together? He feeling really bad about leg.. Making me feel bad. Is okay, yes?” Alexei questioned pleadingly, putting his hands together in a praying expression.

“I’m here too!” Jack exclaimed from the backseat, frowning.

Alexei looked back, “Zimmboni, you knowing how to make pie?”

“No..”

“Then shh!” Alexei joked, poking his shoulder. He looked back at Bitty, who had now made sure the car was safely parked outside of a Walmart.

Bitty nodded, “Yes, that’s fine. Jack, honey, you can help us.” He glanced behind him, putting his hand out for Jack to hold. “Is that okay?”

It didn’t take a lot to make Jack flush pink. “Mhm..”

**_From Kent Parson_ **

_blueberry (:_

_i’ll see you tomorrow, tater_

**_SCENE XIII._ **

**kvpride90  
** help,, helpp,,,, helppppp

**TatersDream  
** What is being wrong?

**kvpride90  
** my tummy hurts ))):

**TatersDream  
** Aw. Feeling sick??

**kvpride90  
** yes  
it’s so cold  
why is it so colddddd

**TatersDream  
** Very late, Vince. You in bed, yes?

**kvpride90  
** i wish

**TatersDream  
** VINCE!!  
Where you being?

**kvpride90  
** i’m driving to a friends house

**TatersDream  
** But for you is past midnight yes?

**kvpride90  
** yes  
which is why my tummy hurts  
well  
partially the reason

**TatersDream  
** YOU TEXTING WHILE DRIVING?  
VINCE STOP!!!!

**kvpride90  
** NO NO TATER PLS  
i’m parked in a mcdonald's parking lot  
did you know that they’re open 24/7?  
i’m so tempted to buy everything they own

**TatersDream  
** Yes. Do it  
Getting me fries please ))))))

**kvpride90  
** do you want fries?  
what else?

**TatersDream  
** Now you making me hungry  
((((  
I wanting those nuggets!! Nom nom  
Like 50  
Eh  
No 20

**kvpride90  
** twenty nuggets, fries,  
and your drink, sir?

**TatersDream  
** You  
Hehe  
Just kidding!   
Cannot drink humans.

**kvpride90  
** you’re so weirdly charming

**TatersDream  
** Oh? So you letting me drink you?

**kvpride90  
** yup  
drink away

**TatersDream  
** Very endearing ;;;;)))))

**kvpride90  
** i’m so proud of you honestly your english has gotten so better

**TatersDream  
** Is being because of you!!  
Always texting. Learning words. Helps )))))))

**kvpride90  
** aww  
i’m glad  
(:

**TatersDream  
** Good. Now eating food and sleep!!

**kvpride90  
** you want to get rid of me so quickly?? ))))):

**TatersDream  
** NO!  
Stubborn   
I’m wanting to talk to you more. Always )) But sleep important.  
Health comes first!!!

**kvpride90  
** <///3 leaving all social media  
turning dark  
goodbye world

**TatersDream  
** Come back please ((((((  
Nooooooooo  
Missing you  
You can only leave if sleeping  
(((((((  
Vinceeeee  
Vinnyyyyyyyyyyyyy  
Babushkaaaaa

**kvpride90  
** what is a babushka (,:

**TatersDream  
** Meaning: Grandma  
HA!

**kvpride90  
** leaving again  
never coming back  
not even your cuteness can save me this time  
gone <//3

**TatersDream  
** Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo   
I’m crying  
You making me crying  
Missing beautiful boyyy  
Come bacckkk  
</33333  
Leaving me alone  
Missing youuuuuuuu  
COME BACKK!!

**kvpride90  
** so whinyyyyy

**TatersDream  
** HELLO!!!!!  
Welcome back ))))

**kvpride90  
** i have food now  
nomming on these bitches

**TatersDream  
** Leaving some for me please!!

**kvpride90  
** always.<3

**TatersDream  
** <33333

**kvpride90  
** are you sure it’s not late for you?

**TatersDream  
** Is late. One AM. But not worrying. Everybody awake

**kvpride90  
** everybody?  
you have friends????  
woahhhh

**TatersDream  
** Offended  
And yes  
I’m staying at friends house  
They having party tomorrow  
Everyone decorating

**kvpride90  
** couldn’t they do that at like  
idk  
normal times maybe

**TatersDream  
** This is not normal house. Is Zoo.  
I’m sleeping in living room, so I hear most

**kvpride90  
** on the couch???

**TatersDream  
** No  
On “Air-Mattress”  
I’m still not understanding  
How air make this so big  
And now I’m sleeping on air?

**kvpride90  
** i mean if you think about it you’re always sleeping on air

**TatersDream  
**... Vince, is too late, you need sleep

**kvpride90  
** no because when i sleep i’m going to miss you  
and my tummy still aches )):

**TatersDream  
** Don’t get sick please ((( 

**kvpride90  
** that’s not why my tummy hurts  
you’re so lovely

**TatersDream  
** (( You’re lovely too

**kvpride90  
** i just wish this was easier

**TatersDream  
** What was?

**kvpride90  
** us  
i wish i could show you my face right now or tell you everything about me but now it’s just  
you’re probably only going to like this side of me  
not who i really am  
because i’m really a bitch  
the entire fucking world hates me

**TatersDream  
** No Vince don’t say that ((  
Unless you are old man or have bad criminal record I’m still loving you  
Take your time, I’m not needing face pic, okay? Just you is enough

**kvpride90  
** nonono i can’t  
stop being so fucking nice  
i’m sorry

**TatersDream  
** No apologizing (( You do nothing wrong

**kvpride90  
** i’ve done so much wrong  
i’m literally crying into a mcdonalds cup at 1am driving to a friends house and expecting literally nothing but pain once i arrive  
l i f e

**TatersDream  
** Please no cry Vince (((  
I’m giving you hug if I could

**kvpride90  
** promise?

**TatersDream  
** You wanting hugs?

**kvpride90  
** only a tater hug

**TatersDream  
** Can do. I promise.  
All the hugs

Kent Parson sat in the front seat of his car at 1am, his pale, shaking hands clutched onto an IPhone and a cup of iced tea. He struggled to read the message between the tears streaming down his blushed pink cheeks, and his uncontrollable ragged breathing. He tried his best to not make noise—not wanting to bathe in the fact that there he was, sobbing, wishing for his life to be anything else, wishing to be _anyone_ else—but he couldn’t muster the energy to hold this pain inside. 

**kvpride90  
** thank you  
i’m sorry

**_SCENE XIV._ **

“Wake up motherfuckers!” The front door of the Haus was slammed open, a tall, skinny man with a huge beard standing in only jeans, a megaphone held in hand. “I _heard_ you absolute beauts were doing a Kegster without me? Brah, where are you gonna get the tub-juice from?”

None of the words made sense to Alexei. In the morning, he strggled to understand anything other than Russian for a good fifteen minutes. He sprung up from his spot in the living room, eyes wide, rubbing his tired brown eyes. 

“SHITTY! YOU’RE HERE?” Chowder exclaimed, rushing down the stairs with a bright smile. Alexei put his head in his hands, softly groaning.

“Chowder, my brah!” Shitty walked up to him, pulling Chowder into a tight, airbending hug. “How’s Samwell been?”

“It’s been good!” Chowder nodded, “The team has been amazing. You came to a game, right? You saw it? We’re in the Playoffs!

They trudged through the living room, before Shitty’s eyes glanced onto Alexei’s tired figure. His eyes widened. “Oh shit! Who is this?”

Alexei looked at him, a goofy smile now plastered on his face. He thankfully went to bed with all of his clothes, as he wasn’t comfortable enough to sleep half naked in a house full of _men._ He put his hand out, saying, “Alexei Mashkov. You?”

He could practically see the wheels turning in Shitty’s head, before he nodded with a small gasp. Shitty reached out, shaking his hand roughly. ”Cool, brah! From the NHL?”

“Yes.” Alexei rolled over, grabbing his crutches and getting up slowly. 

“I’m Shitty. You can call me it, all my friends do. And you’re my friend now. How’d you get in here, by the way?” He questioned, reaching out quickly to help Alexei stand.

From that small action, Alexei’s heart warmed. He decided he liked Shitty already. 

“Itty Bitty invite. Jack Zimmermann too.” Alexei explained, getting onto his feet. His leg didn’t hurt like it used to, and he could almost walk without any support. “Wanting to spend weekend here. You coming for party, yes?”

Shitty nodded, a smirk on his face. “Yeah, dude. Kegsters used to be _my_ shit. Last year I graduated from here and I’m studying in law— _fuck,_ don’t even get me started—but I miss my bros. Is everyone sleeping still? Damn, it’s almost party time.” He raised the megaphone back to his lips, “KEGSTER LIVE IN TWO HOURS! WAKE UP, YOU SEXY MOTHERFUCKERS!” before running upstairs.

“I’m not knowing.” Alexei hummed, walking to the kitchen tiredly. He yawned into his elbow, smiling when he noticed all of the new decorations that had been hung up. He hadn’t been paying attention to the chaos that happened at night (too busy texting), but apparently it had paid off.

The counters that used to be filled with pies, were now crowded with different types of alcoholic beverages (Alexei recognized them as the ones he, Jack, and Bitty bought yesterday) and thousands of red-solo cups. Most of Bitty’s cabinets were covered with duct tape, the words, “STAY OUT!” written across the long, green pieces. 

There were cheap streamers draped from the ceiling—probably bought from Party City—along with a bunch of photo props. Alexei leaned down and picked up the paper fake glasses, putting it on his face and turning to Chowder, who was still standing in awe.

“Looking good?” Alexei asked jokingly. 

Chowder nodded. “YES! We should take a selfie together! You know what those are, right? I may not have time at the party because my girlfriend is coming and I kind of miss her a lot but we can still hang out? Maybe? If it’s okay? I know there’s probably cooler peopl-”

“Selfie. Yes.” Alexei agreed, taking out his own phone. He had no notifications, only ones from Poots and Snowy, checking if he and Jack were okay. “Get prop!”

A squeal emerged from Chowder’s lips, digging down into the bowl of cardboard hats and glasses before pulling out a mustache. He grinned, “I’m going to look like Shitty!” 

Alexei laughed, walking beside him and snapping a picture of them both. They both had blinding smiles, Chowder’s eyes closed happily. It gave Alexei a random motivation to photograph everything in the house.

As the house woke up, he limped around the building, taking pictures of everything that he thought was interesting enough to be captured. He took photos of the ping pong table that definitely wasn’t there the night before, and photographed a very tired looking Jack Zimmermann carrying Alexei’s mattress out of the room and into the attic. 

He got photos of the weather outside; the sun hiding behind fluffy white clothes, but there seemed to be some dark clouds beginning to float in. It looked like a rough storm was coming.

Alexei took photos with Shitty and Lardo, goofy smiles plastered on all of their faces, while Shitty stuck up the middle finger. His chipped black nails were prominent. He had a couple photos with Bitty, images of both of them in his many different colourful aprons. 

There were photos with everyone, and in every single one, Alexei looked happy. He looked at the photos in awe.

Maybe he had finally found his home.

The afternoon passed by with loud chirps, laughs, and preparation. People started flowing into the Haus at 7pm, and even Alexei was impressed with how many people could fit into a small house.

“Ransom n’ Holster have their ways, honey.” Bitty shrugged, leaning over Alexei’s shoulder and talking over the loud music. Most of the lights had been dimmed, giving the house a mysterious feel to it. “They have the entire population on speed dial, I’m tellin’ ya.”

Alexei laughed, “Where you hide pies?” He questioned, looking over at him with a wink.

“It’s classified.” Bitty teased, crossing his arms. “Why’re you askin’?”

Shrugging, Alexei hummed. “I’m offering Kent Parson pie. If he shows. I am a man true with words.” He tried, ruffling Bitty’s messy blonde hair.

“Ooh, right! Forgot about Parson. I’ll show you.” Bitty put his hand on Alexei’s arm, tugging him throughout the house. They ended up in Bitty’s room—Jack was already sitting at his desk, looking at something on his phone. The blonde kneeled to look under his bed, tugging out three freshly made pies.

Bitty scanned the pastries quickly, before handing Alexei one of them. “Blueberry. Make sure none of those animals get to them. Did you know they sometimes eat ‘em without cuttin’ them into pieces? Makes me sick.” He joked.

Jack raised an eyebrow from where he was sitting, asking, “Are people here already?”

Striding over to him, Bitty placed a quick kiss onto his lips, nodding. “Mhm. I’m just goin’ to have some drinks, darlin’, are you sure you don’t want to come down?”

“Yes.” Jack nodded, melting into his touch. He wrapped an arm around Bitty’s waist, laying his head into the crook of his neck. “I’m fine. I promise.”

Alexei sent them a quick smile, before leaving the room, not wanting to get in the middle of anything. He could smell the alcohol already, and it stung. Scrunching his nose up, he leaned against a wall, holding the pie close to his chest.

There was a small part of Alexei that wondered if he could find someone he was interested in at this party. If Jack could find Bitty during a drunken night out, then why couldn’t he

But there was an easy answer to his question. He was still scared. He hadn’t thought much about his sexuality lately—his mind filled with happy thoughts instead—and he was grateful, but he knew that he would have to sort it out someday.

In Russian, he cursed under his breath, rushing as quickly as he could on crutches to the kitchen and grabbing a cup of absolutely anything and chugging it down. Nobody questioned why he had a blueberry pie tightly held under his arm, but nobody cared. They were all too busy chatting, dancing, some kissing. Alexei felt _alone._

He took another cup. And then another. He saw Chowder with his signature smile plastered on his face, dancing with a girl that he was staring lovingly at. There was Ransom and Holster, who were dancing questionably close with one another. He saw Shitty with his megaphone under one arm, Lardo under another, with a group of people around him as he explained something passionately. 

There were so many people—but he still felt alone. He frowned, vision becoming blurry from the alcohol. He stumbled down the hall, finding the washrooms with some difficulty. He was about to step inside, before he saw the tuft of platinum blonde hair in the mirror, grey eyes staring into them.

Kent Parson had actually come.

“Parson!” Alexei exclaimed, raising his free hand up excitedly. “Welcome! Look, I’m.. I’m got you..” He stumbled over his words, attempting to thread them together in his head. “Pie. Blueberry, one you like. Yes?”

Parson turned around with wide eyes, backing into the sink with a gasp. “O- Oh, shit, dude. You scared me.” He put a hand on his chest, breathing heavily. 

“You being okay, Parson?” Alexei slurred, holding out the pie. Parson looked at it cautiously, before taking it from his hand.

“Yeah..” Parson whispered, fidgeting with his hands nervously. “Um..” He straightened his posture, looking at Alexei with a soft expression. His eyes flashed a forest green. “You can call me Kent. Not Parson. If you want.”

Alexei hummed, nodding, “Kent. Pretty name.” He flirted, nudging his shoulder. “Do you want to chat in washroom or..?”

A smile found its way to Kent’s lips. Alexei had to hold himself back from complimenting it. With the alcohol stitched into his system, he struggled to keep his thoughts to himself. Everything felt so free, and he wasn’t afraid to be himself. 

“No, I don’t.” Kent fixated his eyes on the pie, “Uh.. Do you think you could get me a drink?”

Nodding, Alexei gasped. “Of course! I’m getting us drinks. I’m be back.”

“I’m just.. going to put this in my car.” Kent explained, holding up the pie. “I’ll.. be back, in a second.” He stuttered, quickly walking out of the small room and into the mindless chatter.

Alexei frowned, stumbling into the kitchen and filling up another two cups. He walked into where the front door was, grabbing his jacket and opening it, stepping onto the porch. Thankfully there was a roof above him, because it was pouring rain out.

The street was dark and gloomy. Light barely traveled from between the streetlamp and heavy rainfall, making it extremely difficult for Alexei to see farther than ten meters ahead of him.

He could make out Kent’s figure, rushing into his car and jogging back onto the deck where Alexei stood. Alexei gasped, handing him drink and frowning, “Is cold, Kent! You cold?”

“N- No, I’m okay.” Kent waved off, shaking his head. Alexei would’ve believed him if the truth wasn’t so blatantly obvious.

Alexei took off his jacket, leaning against the brick wall for stability, and gently wrapped it around Kent’s slender frame. He smiled, “There you go. Warm now?”

It would’ve been hard to miss the blush tinting Kent’s pale cheeks. Kent made himself comfortable in the cloth, nodding, “Thank you, Tater.”

“Calling me Alexei.” He corrected, walking to the stairsteps and sitting down on one of them. He looked up at Kent, tapping the spot next to him. “Come sit.”

“O- Okay.” Kent agreed, walking over to him slowly and sitting down. The concrete was cold, but that was the least of both of their worries.

Alexei looked at the rain and smiled. “I’m not expecting you coming, you know?” He said after a moment of comfortable silence.

The rainfall was enough to make their moment seem like out of a movie. Alexei had watched enough English movies to know that this was somewhat romantic. Lights dimmed, sitting outside of a party—far enough to feel the bass of the music raving through their fingertips. Alexei took a sip of his drink, throwing his crutches into the grass ahead of him with a scoff. “Stupid injury. Stupid.”

Kent looked at him nervously. “I.. I wasn’t planning to come. I think your pie bribery worked.” He said, tugging the jacket over his fingertips. The cold still seemed to be getting to him, but he ignored it with a chug of beer.

“Good.” Alexei smiled, “You know.. Everyone saying Kent Parson being bad guy. All, _he very messy, play messy game,_ but not looking bigger than that. I’m not seeing bad guy. Am I crazy?” 

Laughing quietly, Kent nodded. “Yes. You are.”

“Mmm.” Alexei hummed, “Probably. I’m lightweight, you knowing? Easy getting drunk. Fourth drink.. Too much, I’m thinking.” He looked into his solo cup with disgust.

“Alexei!” Kent scowled, taking the cup from his hands. “You’ve had four already?”

“Yes! Not my fault!” He put his hands up in surrender.

“Then who’s fault is it?” Kent questioned, smirk visible. 

Alexei glared at him, scoffing playfully. “Old man. No fun.” He crossed his arms, shaking his head. 

“I can have fun.” Kent shrugged, “But health comes first. Remember..?” His voice dipped at the end.

Alexei raised an eyebrow, “Remember?” He questioned.

Their eyes connected. Green eyes met brown. “N- Nevermind..” Kent whispered, quickly glancing down into his lap

“Um.. Kent?” Alexei questioned, bringing his hand to scratch his neck. “Do.. your eyes.. change colour?” 

Kent looked back up immediately. He gulped, nodding. “Y- Yeah.. they do.”

“Ooh.” Alexei nodded, “Making sense. I’m seeing on ice, grey and green. Then now green. But in washroom grey. Do you know meaning?” He asked, laying his head on the palm of his hands. 

“Yeah.. I know the meaning. Did you want to know about them?” Kent asked quickly, glancing up into dark chocolate eyes.

They were warm and welcoming. Kent’s body relaxed. He felt safe.

“Mhm.” Alexei said, smiling softly. “Very cool.”

“Thank you.” Kent blushed once more, the redness reaching his button nose. “Well.. the most I know about is when my eyes are green. It’s kind of like.. when I’m happy? Or surprised. Or.. nervous. Dark grey is when I’m usually extremely focused.. and light grey is just.. when I’m scared.” He explained, biting his lip nervously.

Alexei looked at him, feeling his body shift closer without his acknowledgement. He blamed his movement on the alcohol, because suddenly his hand was brushing through Kent’s platinum blonde hair, resting on his pink cheeks. Brown eyes met lime.

“What light green meaning?” Alexei whispered, his entire body captured in the moment. The rainfall had begun to fade away, and the weight on his shoulders had finally been lifted. He felt a symphony of butterflies and sparkles cascading throughout his system, dragging in between his insecurity and turning what he felt was his imperfections, into perfection. 

There was no overthinking, just the boy sat in front of him, a puddle in his warm hands. For once in his life, Alexei didn’t regret what happened next.

“I- It.. It usually doesn’t turn light green.” Kent stuttered, bringing his hand up and placing it above Alexei’s. It was small, cold, and his jacket covered most of his skin, but Alexei felt the electricity jolt in his heart. “I don’t know..” He trailed off, but the ending of the sentence was found between their lips, connecting, bliss fading within the air.

It was as if he found the missing puzzle piece, the sealing to his bag filled with self discovery, worry, and nerves. But none of those emotions came afloat. They all stayed hidden beneath the movement of their lips colliding, and for Alexei, it felt like the beginning of the end. 

All of the confusion was now admiration. Alexei moved closer, tilting his head to the side and resting his fingers on Kent’s chin, stubble eating at his fingertips. His body was on fire. The feeling of stubble scratched into his veins, and the rough arm being slid around his waist only poured gasoline into the flame.

Kent reached up and tangled his way into Alexei’s thick hair, pulling at the edges gently. Their kiss lasted forever; none of them wanting the moment to end. They were too afraid to pull apart from one another, as if what they had just discovered was too fragile, too soft, and was easily going to break.

 _Dreamboy._ Alexei could hear his own voice mutter, looking into his mother’s angry brown eyes. He kissed Kent even harder, clutching onto his maculine body, feeling the heat of his skin radiating off of his body. 

Before anything else could happen, Kent pulled away and engulfed Alexei in a tight hug. His arms were strong and held him in place. It was as if the action was whispering, _don’t go,_ quietly.

Alexei hugged him back with just as much force, leaning his head into Kent’s shoulder. The air was quiet, but in the moment, none of them needed words—just each other. He rubbed his hand up and down Kent’s back, whispering comforting words of Russian into his ear.

“I’m.. I- I’m so s- sorry-” Kent whimpered. His body begun to shake, gentle tears streaming down his cheeks. “I.. I need to tell you something. Please don’t hate me. I- I just..”

“Take time.” Alexei whispered, kissing his forehead. He pulled away from the hug, looking into his eyes. “I’m listen.”

“O- Okay..” Kent closed his eyes, hand clutched onto Alexei’s arm. “It’s.. I’ll be easier if I just..” He pulled his phone out of his pocket, unlocking it and handing it to Alexei.

“I just want you to know that I… I love you. I’ve _been_ loving you. And.. And I won’t tell anyone if you aren’t ready.” Kent stammered, watching Alexei’s confused eyes scan over his face. “You.. This.. It doesn’t have to mean anything. I want it to. But.. I’m okay with whatever you want. I’m sorry. I should’ve told you sooner.” He put his head into his hands, body shaking with a sob.

Alexei frowned, “Kent..” and reached out to put a hand on his shoulder. “You.. Love..? How?”

Kent quickly looked up, tapping some buttons on his phone and handing it to Alexei. 

Alexei’s heart dropped. Prideouts was opened, and it was on Kent’s homepage.

 **kvpride90** was written on the top of the screen, where the username usually was. Suddenly, everything made since.

“Vince..” Alexei whispered under his breath, eyes going wide at the screen. He glanced up at Kent, his own body overflowing with emotions. “Is you..?”

Kent nodded. “Vince is my m- middle name. Kent Vince Parson. My jersey number is 90.. W- Which is why it’s in my username. I get it if you don’t want to talk to me.. O- Or want to forget this even happened.. I promise, I get it. Don’t feel bad. You’ve already made me so happy.. I don’t know what I could do to show you how much I appreciate it. I’m bad at communication, you know this.. but just.. know I love you. O- Okay..?”

Alexei looked back at the phone screen, using his thumb to scroll down and read the posts. They were all from Vince—Kent—so he definitely wasn’t lying. This was Vince. The boy who helped him figure out his sexuality. The boy who made him worry when he didn’t respond for nights straight, and the boy who stayed up until ungodly hours just so he could say goodnight to Alexei. 

The boy who he just kissed, and the boy who just admitted to loving him. 

It was peculiar—how he held in his tears for this long. Because now they were falling, _quickly,_ and all he could do was hug Kent tightly. He held him close to his chest, and suddenly it was the two of them crying together.

Alexei looked up from his shoulder, “W- Why crying?” He asked Kent, biting his lips.

Kent smiled, putting a hand on Alexei’s cheek and pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. “I planned this scenario so many times in my head. All of them ended up with you leaving or hating me.”

Frowning, Alexei shook his head. “It’s.. crazy. I could never leave. It's really being you.”

“Mhm.” Kent nodded, a smile forming on his face. 

“When you know?” Alexei asked, “That it was me?”

“Uh.. since the hospital.” Kent admitted, looking down at the ground shamefully. Alexei quickly dipped his finger down to hold his chin, tilting it upward again. He didn’t want to stop looking into his dreamy lime catastrophe that was his eyes.

“Not telling me?” Alexei asked, frowning once more. “Why?”

Kent sheepishly grabbed Alexei’s hand, letting their entangled fingers fall into his lap. “I.. I really like you, Tater. And I didn’t want to ruin what we had. You only saw what I wanted you to see.. Online.. on Prideouts.” He shrugged, biting his lip. “And after I broke your fucking leg.. I was too scared. I’m sorry. I should have.”

“Shh, Kenny. I understand.” Alexei whispered, caressing Kent’s hand with his thumb. He was about to say something more, before the front door opened, jolting Alexei away.

His eyes widened as he looked at Bitty, who stood in the doorway sheepishly. “Oh- Lord, I’m sorry, y’all. I was just wonderin’ where you were Tater. Don’t mind me!” He whispered, cheeks tinted red with alcohol. “Have fun you two.”

Alexei looked back at Kent, “Um.. You thinking he knows..?”

Kent laughed—making Alexei’s body relax. “Probably. Hey, um,” Kent cleared his throat, moving over so he was back beside Alexei. “Do you want to come back to my hotel? It doesn’t have to be a sex thing! We can, um.. Eat the pie, maybe.. talk a little more?” He suggested, hopeful expression plastered on his face.

Alexei thought about the entire situation. If he wanted to be close to Kent, he would have to someday come out. He would have to tell the whole world that he was, infact, bisexual, and enjoyed kissing boys.

But with Kent looking at him—nervous yet hopeful smile resting upon his pink lips, that didn’t seem too much of a problem.

“Mm.” Alexei agreed, “Okay.”

_**SCENE XV.** _

“Gosh, did Bitty put crack inside of this thing?” Kent asked, mouth filled with sugary blueberry pie. “It’s— _mmph_ —fucking insane..”

Alexei looked up from his plate and smiled, letting out a small laugh. “You liking?”

“Fuck yes.” Kent nodded, licking around his lips. “My nutritionist is going to actually hate me.”

The two boys were sat on Kent’s hotel bed, shoving plastic spoons into the dessert Bitty had omade. Their knees rubbed against each other, gentle smiles on both of their blushing faces.

“When you first gave this to me I was so confused. Like, how the fuck am I meant to eat all of this? But now.. I understand.” Kent complimented, closing his eyes enthusiastically. “I think I’ve been teleported to a sugar induced coma. But don’t wake me up.”

Alexei giggled, nudging his shoulder. “Wake up!” He exclaimed, booping Kent’s button nose.

Brown eyes met lime. Lime blushed. “Whyy..”

“Because. We needing talk.” Alexei said, ruffling Kent’s platinum blonde hair. 

Kent frowned. “I know..” he sighed, leaning his head onto Alexei’s shoulder. “You can ask me anything. I’ll answer truthfully.”

Alexei intertwined his hands with Kent’s, leaning his head atop of his messy hair. “Okay.. Where are you from, Kent?”

“New York State.” He answered, fiddling with Alexei’s fingers. His hand was swallowed by the huge warmness that Alexei provided. It made his body fill with sparks. “But I moved to Vegas when I got drafted. Since then.. I’ve just been all over the place. What about you?” He asked quietly, nuzzling his cheek against the cloth of Alexei’s shirt.

“Russia.” Alexei smiled, thinking of the memory. “Far from here.. I’m moving when I get drafted, too. New place.. New home.. I’m thinking I like Providence more.”

“Why?”

Alexei looked down at Kent, his heart fluttering. He had never been this close to someone he cared about before. His past relationships were just shallow hookups and hidden kisses. He sighed, “Because I’m being myself here. Russia not accepting. Bad place. Mama not support.. Bad memories.”

Kent frowned instantly, pressing gentle kisses down his neck. “I’m sorry Alexei..”

“Is okay.” Alexei smiled, shivering from his touch. “I’m rather be with people who support me.”

Silence shadowed over them for a small moment, before Kent asked, “Does anyone else know you’re bisexual?”

“Yes.” Alexei nodded, “Zimmboni. He.. finding me having _panic attack,”_ he pronounced thickly. “I’m having those sometimes. Was about sexuality.. Confused. He notice me being off. I’m explain bisexual to him.”

It didn’t take a lot to make Kent feel guilty. So he quickly wrapped Alexei in a hug, making him fall back into the bed. He curled into Alexei’s chest, body laying flat against his. “You have panic attacks?”

Alexei wrapped an arm around Kent’s waist, pie forgotten on the night table—the scent of blueberry filling their lips. “Mmm.. Yes. About mama. Always used to ask me about a _dream girl._ Saying, “ _Alyosha, when you finding dream girl?”_ but when I’m telling I maybe want dream boy, she get mad. Making me scared.. You know?”

Kent kissed the crook of his mouth, nodding. “I understand.” He rested his hand flat against Alexei’s rib cage, feeling the soft rhythm of his beating heart. “You’re Alyosha?”

“Russian nickname.” Alexei smiled, “You can calling me if want. Maybe hard to say.”

“How is it a nickname if it’s longer than your actual name?” Kent asked, smirk written all over his smug face.

Alexei laughed, “Hey! I’m not knowing. I’m now needing nickname for you.”

Kent looked at him, shrugged, before leaning down to his ear and whispering, “You can call me yours.”

Alexei blushed, gasping. “So smooth..”

“Mmm.” Kent whispered, nibbling around Alexei’s neck. He pressed chaste and sweet kisses along his collarbone, “I mean.. You could.. if you want?”

“Really?” Alexei asked, raising an eyebrow. “You wanting date me?”

“Um, yes?” Kent said, rolling his eyes. “Is that even a question?”

Alexei leaned forward and nuzzled their noses, “I’m slow, okay? But.. how will we? Won’t be hard? Distance?”

Shrugging, Kent put his free hand on Alexei’s cheek, caressing the gentle skin. “I think it’ll just be like before. When we used to text all night.. And in the mornings, and stuff.”

Alexei nodded, biting the inside of his cheek. They _did_ easily text around games and practices, and it never was _that_ difficult. “Now is being harder. Knowing I can’t hold you..”

“I know.” Kent looked at him sympathetically. “It’ll only make the time we have together, better. We’d appreciate it more. You don’t have to date me, I don’t want you to feel pressured. We can take it slow? Like restart? Or something..”

“No,” Alexei shook his head, tightening his hold around Kent. “I’m wanting to date you. We can take slow, but not restart.”

Kent smiled brighter than the sun rays, squealing happily. “Okay. I’d like that. A lot.” He stuttered, squishing Alexei’s cheeks.

“I’m thinking we go quick. You already telling me you love me?” Alexei chirped, winking at Kent.

Kent gasped. “Hey! I didn’t mean to- It just, it slipped out, okay!” He exclaimed, pinching Alexei’s nose.

Laughing, Alexei quickly leaned down to tickle Kent, trying to find his ticklish spots. Kent gasped disapprovingly, crying out, “Hey!” as he tried to release himself from Alexei graspe.

They rolled over the bed together, carefully moving around Alexei’s healing leg, small laughs and playful cries for help being fluttered into the soft air of the hotel. Kent grabbed Alexei’s hands, pinning them to the bed and grinning mischievously, “Look at me, I won, again, bitch. Beat that!

Alexei panted, rolling his eyes. “I gave you win. You not beating me that easily.”

“Oh yeah? Where’s your ticklish spot, you big _lug_?” Kent whispered, running his fingers around Alexei’s sides, along his hip bones, prickling at his arm. “Hmm?”

“No where!” Alexei exclaimed, tackling Kent into another hug. They battled like this for some time, before Kent had Alexei pinned under him once again, lime staring into brown.

Their silence was breathtaking. Kent leaned closer to Alexei’s lips, “Hey, can I kiss you right now? Because you’re kind of really hot and it’s kind of difficult to keep my lips off of you when you look at me like this..”

Alexei gasped, “Ooh, looking at you how?” He whispered, running a hand through his hair. 

Blushing, Kent shrugged. “Like I’m worth more than I really am.”

“Kenny,” Alexei frowned, hooking Kent’s chin on his pointer finger. “you are sun. Bright, beautiful, warm. You worth so much.” He whispered truthfully, pressing gentle kisses onto Kent’s warm cheek. “Can I calling you Kenny?”

“Yes.” Kent sighed contentedly, looking at Alexei. Hearts produced from his eyes. “Thank you.”

Alexei smiled, “No need to thank me. But.. I’m knowing other ways you can?” He giggled, winking.

“Dork.” Kent mumbled, and gracefully closed the small gap between them. He kissed Alexei with all of the love he could muster, holding his face close, their breaths colliding.

Like a kaleidoscope, their lips moved together, mirrors shimmering in the dark light. They kissed slow and lovingly, their hands running wild—searching the newfound territory and marking it as theirs. Alexei’s hands traveled from Kent’s cheek down to his waist, carefully slotting in between the small curve of Kent’s tummy. He pushed their bodies closer together; innocent, yet passionate. 

Together, they found land in the middle of an ocean. They found heat in the middle of a snowstorm, and most importantly, they found one another. 

Tongues collided, lazy whimpers escaping throats. They kissed until it was past midnight, and Alexei’s phone was exploding with notifications from Jack and Bitty. He ignored them, his main focus on the boy, _his_ boy, who now laid on his chest, lips swollen, eyes wide. 

“I could get used to this.” Kent whispered, dragging a finger down Alexei’s clothed chest. “You’re so.. comfy.”

“Get used. I’m not letting you go.” Alexei smiled, the words not meaning much when it left his mouth—but to Kent, Alexei had just paved a road to heaven. 

“Really?” Kent asked brokenly, looking at Alexei in awe.

“Yes, Kenny. Maybe you’re being my dream boy. Boy I always telling mama about.” Alexei half-joked, rolling them over so they were both laying on their sides, staring at each other. 

Kent’s eyelashes fluttered. “You’re my dream boy. I remember telling you that. I wasn’t lying.” He smiled softly. “So beautiful,” He traced a finger down Alexei’s cheek, “unique, kind, cute.. Funny. How do you do it?”

“Mm. I’m not knowing.” Alexei kissed Kent’s nose, shrugging. “Maybe you bringing out best in me.”

“You’re so fucking perfect.” Kent curled into his chest immediately. “You bring out the best in me. I’m really an asshole, you know that, right? The entire world hates me.”

Alexei kissed his forehead, wrapping his arm back around his waist. “They hating you because they wishing to be you. You hot, play good hockey, beautiful smile. I’m hating you too.” He joked, tangling his hands in Kent’s hair. 

“Ooh. You hate me?” Kent yawned, covering his mouth with his hand. “I didn’t know you kissed people you hate.”

“Silly boy.” Alexei kissed his forehead once more, proving a point. “I’m only kissing you. My _boyfriend.”_

It felt surreal to say aloud, but the words felt right. Everything about Kent felt right. 

“Your boyfriend.” Kent repeated, yawning once more, before falling asleep in Alexei’s chest, a warm blanket of Alexei’s arms keeping him safe and comfortable. 

For a couple of minutes, Alexei watched Kent rest peacefully. He admired him. The freckles that dotted around Kent’s nose, kissing every crease of his face. He scanned his wild hair, memorizing the cowslick and tracing the locks with his eyes. 

He felt Kent’s chest rise and fall against his. In Russian, he whispered, “I love you too.” before pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead, and falling asleep not too long after.

**PROLOGUE.**

**kvpride90  
** ready for your game?

**TatersDream  
** Of course. Falconers going to win!

**kvpride90  
** you wish (;

**TatersDream  
** Going to be hard not to kiss you on ice.

**kvpride90  
** one day, angel

Alexei Mashkov was number 7 of the Providence Falconers. He was standing on ice, looking over at his teammates with a hint of victory sparkling in his eyes. He leaned over to Snowy on the bench, whispering, “You ready for game?”

It was a face of confidence that Snowy flashed. The goalie nodded. “We’re going to win this shit, Tater.”

Alexei smiled widely, nudging him encouragingly before gliding onto the ice. He could see the Aces already practicing on the other side of the ice, doing drills around cones and perfecting their aim toward the net. 

He searched the players, eyes scanning for the tuft of platinum blonde. He skated to the other side of the rink, a blush creeping to his cheeks when he saw Kent, proud C stitched onto the side of his shoulder, ordering his teammates to a small scrimmage before the game.

Kent was lost in the moment, helping out his teammates so they’d look and do their best during the game. He caught Alexei’s eye when he turned around, leaning down to pick up a cone. He winked at him, skating over with a smile. “Can’t keep your eyes off of me?” He chirped.

Alexei bit his lip. “Mm.. I’m telling you, it will be very hard.” He nudged Kent’s shoulder softly.

“We should make a deal.” Kent whispered, “ _When_ the Aces win, you have to pay for dinner tonight. If the Falconers win, I’ll pay for dinner. Sounds good?”

There were cameras flashing in every direction at their odd encounter. After Kent’s check against Alexei, the entire NHL franchise thought they had a rivalry brewing between them. Many had hyped Alexei’s return up mostly due to the fact that it was—once again—against the Aces, and the crowd were deprived of a good on-ice fight.

Alexei smiled at Kent, putting an arm around his waist. He used to think that coming out was the scariest thing to ever exist, and that he would never be able to live in a world where he could be himself. But standing on the ice, showing his gentle affection toward the Aces capitan, Alexei felt like he could conquer the seas in his presence.

He closed his eyes, breathing in slowly—something he did that helped him become familiar with the ice. The ice that was his home. 

But, the ice wasn’t his home anymore. It had only paved a street toward his final destination. 

So, he leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to Kent’s cheek, before whispering, “Deal.”

They both laughed as the crowd roared.

**Author's Note:**

> i honestly didn't expect to write this much, it literally was meant to be a two-thousand word one shot and then i just began to INVEST myself in the story-  
> hope you enjoyed reading about my favourite boys <3  
> \- MARI


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